“India’s current batting is nowhere near as strong as Dravid, Ganguly, Laxman, Tendulkar, Sehwag” – Shane Warne
India's Fab Five: Sachin, Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman and Sehwag (L-R)
Former Australia cricketer Shane Warne has stated that team India’s current batting side is nowhere near as strong as the one he played against, which included the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, and Virender Sehwag.
Often termed as one of the best batting line-ups, the Virat Kohli-led side has heavily relied on their bowlers for winning matches, especially in the longer format. Moreover. India averages a paltry 25.4 in Test cricket since 2020, just above the West Indies among the major teams.
Though the Australian legend named Kohli as “one of the best batsmen on the planet”, he stated that India’s current batsmen are still way behind their previous lot.
“Their batting is nowhere near as strong as Dravid, Ganguly, Laxman, Tendulkar, Sehwag. Virat Kohli is one of the best batsmen on the planet, if not the best across all forms, but when you see that top five of Sehwag, Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman, Tendulkar, that isn’t bad. I don’t think you can say that it’s the best batting Indian side,” Shane Warne said on Sky Sports.
“Rishabh Pant will be a superstar down the track” – Warne
The 52-year-old lauded the contribution of Kohli and Rohit Sharma to the cricket of their national side. He further went on to say that wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant is on the lines of becoming a superstar in the coming years. Notably, the trio is the highest-ranked for India in the ICC Test batsmen rankings.
“Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are two standout players, and I think Rishabh Pant will be a superstar down the track. But I think it is their fast bowlers that have elevated India to be able to win in all conditions and not just in India,” Shane Warne added.
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