Root and Kohli will be at the top for the next 5 years, says Ian Botham

England's legendary all-rounder Sir Ian Botham has predicted that the duo will rule the batting charts for the next five years.

"The two best players in the series have been Root and Kohli. They have almost the same record. One thing Virat will want to do is score runs in England. He averages 14 there. So he would want to put that right. He is a winner and wants to put that to bed. Similarly, Root has 11 fifties, but not many hundreds. So these two will be the stand out players in cricket for the next five years, but it's tough to say who is better, especially after a series in India. They will be number one and two,” he told India Today on Wednesday.

"When I used to play against the West Indies, when they were the best, I used to tell Viv Richards, don't tell me how good you guys are, tell me how good you will be against your own bowling. The same can be said here. Indian seamers have surprised England. They have bowled good pace consistently and even after rotation. You are very lucky right now. This is one of the best attacks I have seen an Indian side have and it will hold you in good stead away from home," he said.

“I would love him to come and play for Durham. I will definitely have a chat with him before I leave. I honestly don't know how we will fit it in his schedule. It's so packed. But it goes back to what I was saying that that's the kind of guy he is, he wants to dominate everywhere he goes. I would not be surprised to see him playing there, may be for a month or so," he added.