Steve Smith vs Virat Kohli: Stats comparison after 123 Test matches

Steve Smith showcased his class in the fifth and final Ashes Test on the third day, smashing his 37th century in the format. This is the 123rd Test match of his illustrious career, the same number of matches Virat Kohli played for India before announcing his retirement from the format last year. On that note, let us have a look at the stats comparison between Smith and Kohli after 123 Tests:

Smith is winning this battle hands down, having displayed immense composure at various stages of his career. Kohli wasn't far behind until 2019, but his last five to six years in the whites didn't go to plan. Even though the former India skipper notched up a couple of centuries, he was never consistent enough during this period. His career average also fell below 50 before he eventually retired before the England tour in 2025.

As far as the stats are concerned, Kohli scored 9230 runs in 123 Test matches at an average of 46.85 with 30 centuries and 31 fifties to his credit. In the same number of Tests, Smith is closer to notching up 11000 runs in his career and in Sydney, brought up his 37th Test century with his average being more than 56.

Steve Smith vs Virat Kohli stats after 123 matches in Test cricket: Who is winning the battle?

Can Steve Smith go past Sachin Tendulkar to score most runs in Test cricket?

While the cricketing world is keenly following Joe Root's progress on the list of players with the most runs in Test cricket, Steve Smith is also quietly making progress. Root is currently 1984 runs behind Tendulkar on the list but Smith is far behind at the moment. He is more than 5000 runs behind Tendulkar and at the age of 36, it seems unlikely that he end his career as the leading run-scorer in the longest format of the game.

However, it remains to be seen if Smith crosses the 12000-run mark by the time he hangs up his boots from international cricket.

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