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Virat Kohli placed at bottom of Fab Four by 8-time World Cup winner Alyssa Healy: 'Even Rohit, Rahul, Jadeja score 100s'

Sep 06, 2024 04:34 PM IST

Virat Kohli occupied the bottom-most place among the Fab Four. But who is Healy's No. 1?

Seldom it happens that multiple greats of world cricket come together to dominate an era. In the 1980s, it was the quartet of Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee and Imran Khan that is still talked about, while the 1990s saw Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara stir up the evergreen 'Who is better' debate. Years passed, and as some of the legends got closer to the end of their careers, the world wondered who next. To answer that question, Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson emerged, each showing remarkable craft in batting. And as they began to build their legacies, they collectively became known as the 'Fab Four' of cricket.

Ummm. Virat Kohli at No. 4? Really?(Getty)
Ummm. Virat Kohli at No. 4? Really?(Getty)

The last decade the world witnessed the best of Kohli, Root, Williamson and Smith as they not only captained their respective teams to incredible heights but also became bonafide legends. From 2014 onward, they have eclipsed everyone else. Barring a few other stars, batting mostly revolved around the four of them, and even now, 10 years later, as they enter the final phase of their careers, Kohli, Root, Williamson and Smith continue to reign supreme.

Like every era, this one too has been filled with comparisons, and the last decade has been no different. The 'who is the best among Fab Four' debate has raged on for years, with the scales tilting towards all four of them at different points in their careers. Similarly, Alyssa Healy, former captain of the Australian women's team, was asked to rank the Fab Four, in the order from greatest to least great. And as surprising as it is, Healy placed Kohli last in the order.

"They're all very great. But if I'm purely basing it on number, I'm going to put Kohli as fourth. But I actually rate him as No. 1 in everything else. But if you're basing it on number, Kohli is going to sit fourth for me. I'm looking at it analytically. I think about how much cricket he plays and that's where I look at his stats. And they are remarkable based on the sheer amount of cricket he plays and the pressure he is under. But if I look at it analytically, he is going to sit fourth," Healy said on the 'LiSTNR Sport' podcast.

Who's Alyssa Healy's No. 1?

Kohli is undoubtedly the best white-ball batter among the four, but lags behind in Tests. About five years ago, Kohli was ahead of the pack in Tests as well, but after a lean period that stretched nearly three years, he fell behind in the pecking order while all others raced ahead of him. Currently, Root, having shown amazing form and consistency, is easily the leading Test batter, with most runs and centuries.

The No. 1 spot in Healy's list belongs to Williamson, purely because she feels the former New Zealand captain is a one-man army, whereas Kohli has one of the best forms of support in the likes of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and others. Healy reckons with New Zealand, it's 'just been' Williamson for a long period of time and his numbers of 8743 runs from 100 Tests is a testament to it. Even Smith has had help around him, as has Root.

"Williamson has carried the whole New Zealand team, whereas for Virat, he is the greatest player in the world, let's be real. But with him, it's like someone else is always there. Rohit Sharma can score hundreds. KL Rahul can score a 100. Even [Ravindra] Jadeja can score a 100 at No. 8. He has always got someone else, but I feel that if Williamson doesn't make those runs, New Zealand don't get anywhere near winning," Healy said further.

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