Virat probably comes a bit harder at you: Glenn McGrath

Former Australian pace bowler Glenn McGrath has made a comparison between the Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar and the current batting sensation Virat Kohli.

The Indian Test skipper Virat is well on track to surpass a lot of batting feats in both Test and One-Day International cricket. McGrath also admitted that Tendulkar and Kohli are two different type of individuals. “Virat (Kohli) and Sachin (Tendulkar) are different personalities,” the 46-year-old said. “(But) there is no doubt that Sachin is one of the all-time greats.

He said that Virat has got a positive attitude to batting, and always backs himself and Sachin was also positive and confident about his game. “Virat is confident; he has got this attitude to batting. He does not back down. Sachin was positive and confident and went about his business.”

Sachin Tendulkar featured in 200 Test matches, 463 ODIs, and 1 T20I, where he scored 15921 Test runs, 18426 ODI runs, and 10 runs in the T20I.

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“Virat brings a different level of attitude to the game which I like and I think that will hold him in good stead,” he added.

He feels that Virat Kohli is a bit more aggressive batsman, considering the impact of the shortest format of the game. “I think he will be around for a long time. Virat probably comes a bit harder at you, considering the (impact of the) T20 format.”

However, he lamented that Test cricket is still the ultimate game and all the well established modern day batsmen are good Test match players. “Test cricket is still the ultimate and young people should hold it in high regard,” McGrath said. “I used to have concerns about T20 cricket and its impact on the game but I think it can have a positive impact by bringing new people into the game to watch it and to play.”

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“That might filter up to the Test level. You look at the guys like Virat, AB de Villiers, Steve Smith, Joe Root – they are quality Test players and are also up there with the best in T20. You still need to be a quality batsman to succeed at T20 level too,” he concluded.