Shane Warne names his top-five modern-day batsmen, Virat Kohli not in top-three

Shane Warner, the legendary leg-spinner with 708 Test wickets, named his top five Test batsmen of the present-day game on Saturday, December 11. Warne named Steve Smith as his top-pick, who he feels has been outstanding across all conditions.

Smith, the second-ranked Test batsman currently, is the fastest to the 7,000-run milestone (126 innings), and has aggregated 7,552 runs at 61.39, with 27 hundreds from 78 games till date.

“I've got Steve Smith. In all conditions and against all bowling, in attacking across all times, Smith is outstanding,” Warne said on Fox Cricket.

Warne then named England skipper Joe Root, who has had a stellar 2021, with 1,544 runs at 64.33 with six hundreds to his name, followed by Kane Williamson, who lead New Zealand to a World Test Championship title earlier this year.

“Joe Root is number two. He has made 6 hundreds in this calendar year. Kane Williamson is always in thereabouts,” said Warne.

Warne named India Test skipper Virat Kohli as his fourth pick, adding that the right-hander has “dropped off a little bit” in recent times. Kohli, whose last Test hundred came more than two years ago, is the sixth ranked Test batsman currently. He was replaced by Rohit Sharma as India’s full-time vice-captain recently.

Marnus Labuschagne, who has had a fine start to his Test career with 1,959 runs at 61.21 from his first 19 Tests rounded off the top-five.

“Virat Kohli has just dropped off a little bit, and then Marnus (Labuschagne) rounds up the top-5 for me,” said the Australian.