Ashwin's Candid Opinion on Joe Root in Viral Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli Debate: 'He's Outstanding, But I'm Really Sorry...'

Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently shared his straightforward views on Babar Azam being dropped from the Pakistan squad, drawing comparisons to Virat Kohli's previous rough patch. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection committee has reportedly lost confidence in Babar, who has been struggling with his performance in red-ball cricket. Babar has not managed to score more than 50 runs in his last 18 innings, with an average of just 18.75 in his last eight innings at home. This poor form led to PCB's decision to omit the former captain from the final two Tests against England.

Pakistan white-ball star Fakhar Zaman had questioned the decision to exclude Babar from the Pakistan squad in a social media post where he pointed out Kohli's average during his rough patch. The Pakistan batter faced backlash for his comparison of Kohli and Babar's rough patches.

Ashwin also gave his honest opinion on the comparison and bluntly stated that the two players should not be mentioned in the same statement.

"Definitely, if he is given a chance, he will score runs. If there is class, I believe we should end this debate once and for all. First of all, across the border, Babar Azam and Virat Kohli shouldn't be mentioned in the same statement," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

After scoring a Test century in November 2019 during a day-night Test against Bangladesh, Kohli had to wait for almost three years to get past the triple-figure mark after that. However, in between, he kept hitting half-centuries but struggled to convert them into a century.

Ashwin called Babar an outstanding player but asserted that Kohli's numbers are something else, as he has performed well in every situation and condition, and only Joe Root comes close to him in red-ball cricket.

"I am really sorry, I rate Babar Azam. He is an outstanding player, but Virat Kohli's credentials are something else. Across terrains, across times, across pressure situations, the kind of heists he has done, no one has come close to doing so in the world of cricket. As far as I know, at this point, if any one comes close, it is Joe Root in Test cricket."