Mon Nov 25 15:23:51 UTC 2024: ## Lehmann Ranks Kohli Above Root, Citing Lack of Australian Century
**Perth, Australia –** Former Australian cricketer and coach Darren Lehmann has placed Virat Kohli above Joe Root in his ranking of Test batsmen, citing Root’s inability to score a century in Australia. Lehmann’s assessment comes after Kohli’s impressive 30th Test century – his seventh in Australia – in India’s resounding victory over Australia in the first Test at the Optus Stadium.
Kohli’s unbeaten 100 (143) helped India to a dominant 295-run win, a match also featuring standout performances from Yashasvi Jaiswal (161), KL Rahul (77), and Jasprit Bumrah (8/72). The victory gives India a 1-0 lead in the series.
Lehmann, speaking on ABC Sport, praised Kohli’s return to form and his ability to score runs consistently in challenging conditions worldwide. He contrasted this with Root’s record in Australia, where despite a strong overall Test career, he remains without a century in 27 innings.
“Joe Root is a great player, but is he an all-time great? He’s had three goes in the Ashes, hasn’t made a hundred,” Lehmann stated. “They’ve made runs all over the world in difficult conditions against different oppositions. And that’s the only thing stopping Joe Root. I think he’s a great player, but is he in that upper echelon?”
Lehmann ultimately ranked Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Kohli above Root, emphasizing the importance of achieving centuries across diverse conditions and opponents as a marker of true greatness. “You’ve got to make hundreds all around the world,” he explained. “Smith does, Williamson has, Kohli has, [Rohit] Sharma has – they’re world-class players.”
Despite Root’s phenomenal form since 2021, accumulating 4931 runs with 18 centuries, his lack of an Australian century remains a significant factor in Lehmann’s assessment.
First Piper 