Virat Kohli retires as the third best ‘Fab 4’ batsman from Test cricket.

Virat Kohli is probably the best all-format batter to translate the game. One can make a case for him as the greatest ODI batsman, especially when he worked for centuries of Sachin Tendulkar. He is also there in T20is. Kohli has the two ‘Player of the Tournament’ awards in the T20 World Cup in the shortest format of the second highest run, second highest runs, and in the shortest format of the game. But he is not even close to that conversation in Test cricket.

He can be India’s best Test batter since 2013, but is definitely not close to the best in his generation. Fab 4 K 1/4, Kohli was not the best in tests for a few years. However, his counterpart Steve Smith from Australia was better for the most part. During his peak years (2014–19), the Indian Great conquered it. Which remained a controversial subject. Some chose Kohli the best, while others chose Smith.

But why am I joining Kohli? Why talked about him and Fab 4 now? This is because the former captain of India has retired from the format. The late and great Martin Crowe coined the word ‘Fab 4’ in 2014. He wrote about the world’s four best test batsmen at that time and shared why he felt that he was going to capture the number 1 place in Red-Ball cricket in the coming year. After 11 years, one of them has retired. And that’s why I am writing this.

Fab 4 overall test record

Far from home

Kohli is the only member of Fab 4 that is less than 50 average. But overall averages do not actually show the actual picture. Despite the average of Williamson, Kohli and Route, there is not a better batsman. This opinion is not only supported by the pre-cricketer, but also by their records.

To show who is the best, everyone who brings metric is a record in the army (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia). However, this metric works best for Asian batsmen. To level the playground, we have changed the metric for each player.

This clearly shows that Smith is miles ahead of her contemporaries. The former Australian captain has about the same number of run routes despite playing 15 low innings. He has also got the highest average hundreds of and the highest average. It also shows how Kohli, despite being compared to Root and Smith, Williamson is not in his league. Kiwi does not arise on the occasion such as all others do in the most difficult circumstances and against the best opposition. Since the headline is Kohli-specific, let’s talk about it.

Very much does not separate Kohli and route. The Indian has 5 and hundreds, but the British covered him with 12 more half -centuries. Not converting his half -centuries into hundreds was something that had flicked for the root, and it shows that if he converts these good start into older people, he can end with how many more and hundreds.

Kohli is 11 more than the route in Australia, and Root has covered Kohli in New Zealand (50 to 36). They are also in South Africa. This metric, root and Kohli is very close to. But the British have a better average. They can be tied to another place here.

Late career decline

Since Don Bradman, many Brian Lara chooses Lara as the biggest Test batsman on Sachin Tendulkar. 1 run difference in average separates them. But Tendulkar played 69 more matches with him. Longevity. This is what makes the younger master the best. It can be easy to be best for a month or year, but to do it for a decade – this is a challenge.

Smith and Williamson started Kohli in 2011 and Root in 2012. For the next decade, they were in their head. In late 2019, they were 31 (Kohli), 30 (Smith) and 29 (Root and Williamson) ages. They were close to the end of their best period. At this point, Kohli took an average of 54.8 after 141 innings. Smith was the only person who was better than that (62.8); In fact, the average of the root was 50 (48.4).

Fab 4 record from 2020

January 1, 2020 to May 12, 2025: The picture has completely changed. Everyone is submerged, stopping the root (48 to 50). Smith’s average has fallen from about 63 to 56, and Kohli went from 55 to 46.

Williamson may be 67.37 average during this period, but most of his runs have come at home. Out of his 48 innings, 27 have come against India, England and Australia. Of these, it is an average of 37.07 with 2 fifties and 2 hundreds. Why am I leaving South Africa? Because he sent New Zealand an F side and named someone his captain, who had not made his debut yet.

Kohli’s biggest issue during this period is his decline against spin. Since 2020, India produced spin-friendly pitches more often. This meant that Kohli did not find it easy to find his mojo during his recession (1021 days without one hundred,

He could rescue, but on the big turner, you need to bring back the pressure on the bowler, which Kohli failed to do so because his attacking arsenal developed him with growing age. Most Indian batsmen faced, but no one like Kohli. His career average against spin is 54.84, but since 2020, it has increased to 31.28.

But this was not his only issue. Everyone remembers Kohli’s issue with balls out in England. Well, it returned to half of his career. He played in the final Test series, he came out in the same way: closing the balls outside. He entered Australia with an average of 54.08 and left with 46.72. And Australia was his second best place to bat first; Well, it was no longer after the tour.

It is safe to say that Kohli has been 4 batter of this decade. And basically takes him out of the best of his generation race. But his performance in the summit still puts him over Williamson. Remember, there are no bad or good batsmen there. These all-time are great. Some of the greatest to play for their nations and test cricket in general.