Battle for the best Test batter

Who is the best Test batsman in recent times which have been dominated by the COVID19 pandemic The list is lengthy and not unsurprisingly filled with many deserving players but everybody has a glitch The last three years statistics Jan 1 2019 to the present cover both normal and abnormal times so I accept them as a good range of scoring tendencies Statistics arenrsquot my fortemdashI tend to favour players who are aggressive and aesthetically pleasingmdashbut they are a guide to being on the right pathThe list includes the big four Joe Root Steve Smith Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson However two younger players in Babar Azam and Marnus Labuschagne deserve to be includedRoot comfortably heads the list in both runs scored and centuries amassed while also playing the most innings Root has an engaging desire to score and collects runs all round the wicket with a wide array of shots Hersquos renowned for compiling centuries but he is the only player in that period to reach double figures 13 in that department Nevertheless Rootrsquos inability to score a century in Australia despite playing 27 innings is damaging Rootrsquos Australian struggles include reaching fifty on nine occasions without converting any into a century A string of low scores at home against South Africarsquos strong pace attack is also a warningAlso Read T20 World Cup Standby pacer Deepak Chahar ruled outUnorthodox SmithSmith is a very unorthodox player but extremely difficult to either contain or dismiss If this list was compiled before the pandemic he would have been the automatic number one However a recent tactical change that included the occasional shortpitched barrage and a straighter line of attack with the appropriate field placings has exposed a chink in his formerly impregnable armour At least now he looks humanMarnus Labuschagne right Babar AzamKohli is a fine player with a great stroke range a highly competitive nature and a thoughtful approach to batting When asked why he doesnrsquot indulge in typical shortform risky shots he replied ldquoI donrsquot want them to creep into my Test gamerdquo Whatever the casemdashthe ageing process or retiring as a captainmdashKohlirsquos output has started to wane and he needs to rekindle the magicKanersquos simple techniqueWilliamson is a dogged competitor who has a good backfoot game as well as a fascination with running the ball to third man There is a tendency to under rate Williamson because of his simple technique but he has a great record despite battling a serious elbow injurySince playing as a concussion substitute for Smith at Lordrsquos in 2019 and then establishing himself as a valuable number three Labuschagne has blossomed into a run machine Like Smith Labuschagne is an idiosyncratic batsman but highly effective as he tends to be correct at the point of contact In a short period Labuschagne has been extremely fortunate as the opposition have not only dropped many of his offered chances but among them are some absolute sitters How he fares when his luck normalises will determine this innovative playerrsquos worthAzam a complete playerAzam is a complete player with his flowing drives and all round shot range His footwork is neat and there is an enjoyable artistry that makes his batting compulsive viewing To round out the picture Azam has a game that fits all three formats but his Test batting with an ability to compile centuries stands out Josh Hazlewood has dominated Azam in Australia and this created some concerns about his ability on bouncy pitches However on his second tour of Australia he produced a couple of gems to enhance his reputation as a player to followItrsquos hard to choose a best player from that talented group However when you consider that some oldtimers preferred Victor Trumperrsquos artistic style over the acknowledged best batsman in Sir Donald Bradman the difficulty is not surprising On their best days itrsquos hard to surpass the highly competitive Kohli His twin centuries in a failed but brave victory attempt at Adelaide Oval in 2014 remain my favourite innings out of that groupAlso Read Ganguly forced out of BCCI for not joining BJP Supporters