Veteran Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin indirectly criticized Fakhar Zaman for comparing Babar Azam to Virat Kohli’s meager run in Test cricket. Ravichandran Ashwin said that Virat and Babar should not be included in the same statement after Fakhar Zaman’s post on social media.

Pakistan selectors decided to drop Babar from the Test squad for the last two matches of the ongoing series against England. Many pundits and cricketers expressed their disapproval. Fakhar Zaman sparked controversy by criticizing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and comparing Babar and Virat.

We should end this debate – Ravichandran Ashwin

In a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin opened the comparison between Babar Azam’s struggles and Virat Kohli’s. Ashwin said Babar and Virat should not be mentioned in the same statement and added that the debate should come to an end.

“Definitely, if given a chance, he will score runs. If there is class, I think we should put an end to this debate once and for all. Firstly, across the border, Babar Azam and Virat Kohli. in the same statement,” Ashwin said.

Babar was dropped from the team after a series of poor performances in Test cricket. The right-handed batsman scored 30 (71) and 5 (15) in the opening Test, where Pakistan lost the match by an innings and 47 runs. Babar failed to score a fifty in his last 18 innings in the longest format of the game.

Virat Kohli’s credentials are something else – Ravichandran Ashwin

The 38-year-old cricketer said that apart from Joe Root in Test cricket, no active cricketer can match Virat Kohli’s achievements. Ashwin said Babar Azam is an exceptional player but Kohli’s credentials are something else.

“I am very sorry, I rate Babar Azam. He is an exceptional player, but Virat Kohli’s credentials are something else. In all the fields, in the timing, in the pressure situations, the type of robberies he has committed, nobody has come close to doing it. So in the world of cricket, as far as I know, at the moment, if anyone comes close, it is Joe Root in Test Cricket,” Ashwin added.

Babar Azam has struggled to score runs in Tests since 2023

In 2023, Babar scored 204 runs in five matches at an average of 22.66, and his performance has declined further this year. The 30-year-old batsman scored only 148 runs in four Test matches at an average of 18.50. He has not managed to score a half-century in the Test format since the beginning of 2023.

Like Babar, Virat Kohli went through a challenging period in his Test career from 2020 to 2023. Kohli started and scored a half-century during his lean period. He has an excellent track record in the SENA countries with 11 Test centuries. In contrast, Babar has only a century in challenging conditions in the SENA countries.

Also Read: “Babar Azam Sells Cricket For Pakistan” – Former Pakistan Cricketer