‘One of the best tons I've seen’ - Adam Gilchrist sides with Virat in Kohli-Root debate

Senior England batter Joe Root hit twin centuries against Sri Lanka in the second Test at Lord’s, which prompted former cricketer Michael Vaughan to take a dig at Virat Kohli. Root hit his 34th Test century in the match, and has five more than Kohli, which Vaughan reminded on Twitter (now X), and that went viral on social media.

Former Australia cricketer Adam Gilchrist too joined in the Kohli-Root debate after the second Test. The wicket-keeper batter was asked to pick one out of the two and it was easy for him to pick Kohli in T20I and ODI cricket but in Test cricket, he noted that Root had the upper hand in the last couple of years.

“In the last short while, definitely. Over a long period of time, Joe Root's stats are…, well he's the best England ever had,” Gilchrist said on Club Prairie Podcast and Vaughan, who was also present agreed with the Australia great.

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However, the anchor changed the question and asked the guests to pick one for Australian conditions. That’s when Gilchrist reminded that Root has no centuries in Australia while Kohli has six. He recalled the star India batter’s 123-run knock against Australia in Perth and hailed it as one of the best centuries he had seen of Kohli. For the same reason, he picked Kohli over Root in Australian conditions.

“Virat scored one of the best tons I've seen at the Perth stadium in the first Test match ever played there, that was probably different gravy. I'd probably say Virat,” Gilchrist said.

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Vaughan agreed with Gilchrist but added that barring Australian conditions, he would pick Root over Kohli in any other part of the world. “I wouldn't argue with that in Australia. I would say Virat in Australia against the Aussies, anywhere else I'm going Joe Root,” Vaughan said.

Kohli will be playing ten Test matches in the next five months and will have the opportunity to topple Root in the most centuries by a current cricketer list. However, for that, he needs to score six tons, which won’t be an easy task.