Who Were the Bowlers That Gave the Fab 4 Sleepless Nights in Test Cricket?

(Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, and Joe Root in a frame)

Since the start of cricket, the game has seen some of the best batters ever to hold the bat such as Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and many more. These batters have always been at the top of their game and had the aura in them. However, just like these great batters, the game has also got the top bowlers who were able to stop these tough batters. Players like Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Brett Lee, Zaheer Khan, and Anil Kumble were the few who got the better of these batters. In the current generation too, we are blessed to have witnessed the batting of Fab 4 who have dominated cricket in the Test Format and have made several records with their bat. But just like this, there have been the bowlers against whom these GOAT’s have had some tough times.

Describing the Fab 4 in the Test Format

In the world of cricket, Test Cricket stands tall as the oldest and purest form of the game. Amidst concerns about its declining popularity, four exceptional players, known as the Fab 4, have emerged to keep its spirit alive and thriving. Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root are the stars of this quartet. They are not just great players; they are the guardians of Test Cricket's legacy. Despite facing tough challenges, they've consistently delivered outstanding performances, earning respect and admiration worldwide.

(Fab 4 in the Test Format)

Steve Smith's unique batting style and remarkable consistency have made him a standout player. Virat Kohli's fiery passion and hunger for success have propelled him to the top of the cricketing world. Kane Williamson's calm demeanour and impeccable technique have earned him a place among the game's elite. Joe Root's leadership skills and classical batting have been instrumental in England's success.

Name of the Player	Matches Played	Innings Played	Runs scored	Highest Score	Average	Strike Rate	Hundreds	Fifties
Joe Root (England)	140	257	11736	254	49.72	56.52	31	61
Steve Smith (Australia)	109	195	9685	239	56.97	53.50	32	41
Virat Kohli (India)	113	191	8848	254*	49.15	55.56	29	30
Kane Williamson (New Zealand)	100	176	8743	251	54.98	51.41	32	34

Each member of the Fab 4 brings something special to the table, showcasing the beauty and brilliance of Test Cricket. Their performances inspire fans and aspiring cricketers alike, keeping the magic of the longest format alive. As Test Cricket evolves, the Fab 4 remain steadfast in their commitment to the game. They are not just players as they are ambassadors, ensuring that the spirit of Test Cricket continues to captivate audiences for years to come.

Bowlers who have picked the wickets of Fab 4 players the most

In the current era, there have been certain bowlers who have been in the League of Legends because of the way they have mastered the skill of bowling in tough conditions. Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, and many more are the bowlers who have made things tough for the Fab 4 players and we will be now looking at the bowler against whom each Fab 4 member has got out for the most number of times.

1. Virat Kohli against James Anderson - 7 Times

Making his debut in 2003, James Anderson has been a bowler who has made life tough for all the batters while playing in overcast conditions because of the movement and the way he manages to swing the ball. Having Test series wins in countries like India, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies, and many more, James Anderson has been the player who has a knack for picking up key wickets. Running from the last 21 years, he has troubled great batters like Sachin Tendulkar, and Ricky Ponting to newbies like Shubman Gill, Travis Head, and others.

Just like the other batters, the “King of Cricket” Virat Kohli has also found it tough facing James Anderson and it was visible during their first meet in the English conditions where James Anderson was all over Virat Kohli by seeing him as a walking wicket. Bowling at the fourth stump side, Virat Kohli wasn’t able to judge the length properly and hence used it to get him out in the slips cordon. But in the 2016 and 2018 series, Virat Kohli mastered the things well and hence didn’t even get out to him once. However, things came back haunting the batter in 2021 when James Anderson again came out at the top.

(James Anderson celebrates after picking the wicket of Virat Kohli in the match)

Considering the Test format, James Anderson has bowled 710 deliveries to Virat Kohli and in those balls, Virat Kohli has scored 305 runs with an average of 43.60 and a strike rate of 43 while getting out to the bowler 7 times in the process. The best highlight of this battle came in 2018 when India toured England and the battle between both the players got intense as Kohli backed himself and finally got the desired results against James Anderson. He finally registered two hundred on English soil to answer back his critics in style.

Year	Runs	Balls	Outs	Dots	4s	6s	Strike Rate	Average
2012	23	81	1	72	3	0	28.4	23.0
2014	19	50	4	42	3	0	38.0	4.8
2016	69	112	0	75	8	0	61.6	-
2018	114	270	0	210	13	0	42.2	-
2021	72	168	2	137	11	0	42.9	36.0
2022	8	29	0	24	1	0	27.6	-
Total	305	710	7	560	39	0	43.0	43.6

(Virat Kohli vs James Anderson in the Test Format)

2. Steve Smith against Stuart Broad - 11 Times

Just like his partner James Anderson, the bowler who has made life tough for the batters has been Stuart Broad. Being hit for six sixes in a T20 match to taking more than 600 wickets, Stuart Broad has been a player who will always be remembered for his bowling under tough conditions and giving England an edge in the matches. The right-handed bowler has been tough for the batters such as Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brendon McCullum, and many more which shows the impact of him in the Test format on the other team's batting lineup.

Now talking about the current players, Stuart Broad has been the player who has dismissed the “Test Player of the Decade”, Steve Smith for the most number of times in his test career and it has always been a battle between both the players whenever they face each other. It was in the 2013 Ashes where Steve Smith was dominated by Stuart Broad and it continued even in 2015. However, the 2017 Ashes in Australia saw Smith being the better player while in the 2023 Ashes, Stuart Broad again came back haunting the Australian batter in the English conditions.

(Stuart Broad dismissed Steve Smith in the 2019 Ashes 2 times)

Both the players have been up against each other for 1101 balls and Steve Smith has managed to score a total of 577 runs while averaging 52.5 against the bowler and had a strike rate of 52.4 during the playing days. However, Stuart Broad too has been excellent against him and has grabbed his wicket 11 times during the process. It was mainly in the 2013 Ashes where Stuart Broad was at the top while in the 2015 and the 2019 Ashes, Steve Smith piled up the runs against him which shows his impact and the performance in the Ashes series.

Year	Runs	Balls	Outs	Dots	4s	6s	Strike Rate	Average
2013	74	198	3	160	9	0	37.4	24.7
2014	13	28	0	23	2	0	46.4	-
2015	77	122	3	84	10	0	63.1	25.7
2017	94	239	0	185	9	1	39.3	-
2018	16	33	0	26	3	0	48.5	-
2019	193	272	2	190	30	1	71.0	96.5
2021	24	56	0	48	4	0	42.9	-
2022	29	67	1	54	4	0	43.3	29.0
2023	57	86	2	60	9	0	66.3	28.5
Total	577	1,101	11	830	80	2	52.4	52.5

(Steve Smith vs Stuart Broad in the Test Format)

3. Joe Root against Pat Cummins - 11 Times

The Australian team has always been blessed with some of the best bowlers such as Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, and many more who have ruled the bowling charts in their time. One such name who is now ruling the world along with his captaincy and bowling skills is Pat Cummins, who is the ODI World Cup winning captain along with having a World Test Championship Mace to his name. With so many skills and determination, he is the bowler who is one of the most feared ones in the test format because of the perfect line and length that he bowls.

For an Australian or an English player, winning the Ashes series remains the ultimate goal, and competing well here means the most to them. Just like this, Pat Cummins has been an exceptional player in the Ashes and his contribution has been too good for the Australian team in retaining the urn since 2017. He has been the one who has dismissed the main opposition batter, Joe Root for the most number of times in his Test career. Furthermore, because of his presence, Joe Root wasn’t able to score a century between the 2017 to 2022 Ashes series.

(Pat Cummins after picking the wicket of Joe Root in the Ashes)

Joe Root faced Pat Cummins for the first time in his career in 2017 and since then, he has faced 536 deliveries from the bowler while scoring 286 runs at an average of 26.0 along with having a strike rate of 53.4. However, in between all this, Pat Cummins has managed to dismiss Joe Root for 11 times and hence he has often faced difficulty against him because of the line and length which makes it tough for the batter to pick him up.

Year	Runs	Balls	Outs	Dots	4s	6s	SR	Avg
2017	52	114	4	92	8	0	45.6	13.0
2018	19	57	0	45	1	0	33.3	-
2019	69	118	3	85	9	0	58.5	23.0
2021	39	81	0	61	3	0	48.1	-
2022	11	41	1	35	1	0	26.8	11.0
2023	96	125	3	74	12	1	76.8	32.0
Total	286	536	11	392	34	1	53.4	26.0

(Joe Root vs Pat Cummins in the Test Format)

4. Kane Williamson against James Anderson - 9 Times

From the England team, James Anderson has been the bowler who has been a nightmare for every batter who is playing in the English or swinging conditions as he is the one who can easily make any batter dance to his tunes with his swing. The way he has been consistent with the ball along with getting wickets in the first spell of the match, James Anderson has registered his name in the list of the Legends. His outswing and in-swinging deliveries are not easy for any batter and hence he features again in our list here.

New Zealand’s star player and their key batter, Kane Williamson is another member of the Fab 4 who has been brilliant in the Test format because of his skill and the way he takes on the bowling attack by seeing gaps in the Test format. He has been one of the most aesthetic players who just knows how to keep his team in the match but against James Anderson, he is often seen struggling, and hence the things haven’t been going well against him. Since 2013, he has struggled against the swinging deliveries from James Anderson and in just one series, he got out 3 times to him.

(James Anderson celebrates after picking the wicket of Kane Williamson)

Coming to the overall stats, Kane Williamson has faced the challenge from James Anderson in 446 deliveries and has managed to score 166 runs while averaging just 18.4 with the bat and a strike rate of 37.2 for the team. In between this, Kane has got out 9 times to him which is the most by any bowler in Kane Williamson’s career. With James Anderson announcing his retirement from the game, the legendary battle won’t be seen on the field now for the fans out there.

Year	Runs	Balls	Outs	Dots	4s	6s	SR	Avg
2013	75	198	3	168	11	0	37.9	25.0
2015	28	80	1	68	4	0	35.0	28.0
2018	27	63	2	50	4	0	42.9	13.5
2021	4	10	1	8	0	0	40.0	4.0
2022	9	30	0	27	2	0	30.0	-
2023	23	65	2	52	2	0	35.4	11.5
Total	166	446	9	373	23	0	37.2	18.4

(Kane Williamson vs James Anderson in the Test Format)