Comparing Steve Smith and Virat Kohli’s stats after 99 Tests

Australian run-machine Steve Smith will feature in his landmark 100th Test match when the Aussies take on England in the third Ashes 2023 Test, starting Thursday, July 6, at Headingley in Leeds.

When he takes the field on Thursday, the right-batter will become only the 15th cricketer from Australia to reach the 100-Test figure, and 75th overall. India’s Cheteshwar Pujara was the most recent player to complete 100 Test matches.

Smith’s rise has been phenomenal, especially considering he entered the Australian team primarily as a leg-spinner who could also bat. Fans could be forgiven for forgetting the cricketer’s bowling skills, for he has been absolutely exceptional with the bat ever since he established himself in the team.

The 34-year-old will go into his landmark 100th Test match on a high, having won the Player of the Match at Lord’s for scoring 110 and 34 in the two innings.

With his outstanding performances with the willow, Smith has often invited comparisons with Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli, who played his 100th Test in March 2022. As the Aussie gears up to feature in his 100th Test match for Australia, let us compare his and Kohli’s numbers after 99 Tests in detail.

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Smith vs Kohli: Overall stats after 99 Tests

In 99 Tests, Smith has amassed 9113 runs at an average of 59.56, with 32 hundreds. At the same stage, Kohli had scored 7962 runs at an average of 50.39, with 27 tons.

Post-2019 the Indian batter suffered a massive slump in form, which hampered his overall numbers to some extent.

Looking at home and away records, Smith has played 48 Tests at home, scoring 4387 at an average of 64.51 with 16 centuries. In 46 away Tests, he has 4297 runs to his name, averaging 57.29 with 15 hundreds. Smith has also played five Tests at neutral venues, scoring 429 runs at an average of 42.90 with one three-figure score.

Breaking down the away numbers further, Smith averages an excellent 58.51 in England from 19 Tests, and has scored eight hundreds in the country. Smith also averages 50.31 from 10 Tests in India, where he has registered three hundred-plus scores.

The Australian batter has an average of just under 50 from five Tests in Sri Lanka, where he has scored two centuries. He did well in Pakistan as well, scoring 226 runs in three Tests last year at an average of 56.50, though he did not score a hundred.

Smith has only played two Tests in New Zealand but has scored 262 runs at an average of 131.

He has comparatively underwhelming numbers in South Africa, averaging 41.10 from six Tests, and in Bangladesh, where he averages 29.75 from two Tests. Overall, though, he has proved to be a thorn in the opposition’s flesh more often than not, both home and away.

Looking at Kohli’s numbers, out of his first 99 Tests, he played 44 at home, scoring 3766 at an average of 62.76 with 13 hundreds. The former India captain played 54 Tests away from home in which he scored 4139 runs at an average of 43.11, with 14 hundreds.

In one neutral Test, the 2021 World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand, Kohli scored 57 runs at an average of 28.50, with a best of 44.

Taking a detailed look at his away stats after 99 Tests, he averaged 54.08 in Australia (undoubtedly his favorite opponents) in 13 matches, with six hundreds. The 34-year-old also impressed in South Africa, averaging 51.35 from seven Tests, with two tons.

However, barring Sri Lanka (average of 43.22 from six Tests), Kohli averaged under 40 in all nations that he played Test matches during the said period.

He averaged 36 in New Zealand (four Tests), 34.55 in England (15 Tests), and 14 in Bangladesh (one Test). Surprisingly, he had a mediocre Test record in West Indies as well after playing 99 matches during his career - 35.61 from nine Test matches.

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Smith and Kohli’s performance in winning causes after 99 Tests

Smith has amassed 5422 runs in 54 matches in winning causes after 99 Tests, averaging 70.41 with 21 tons. Of Smith's hundreds in winning efforts, 10 have come at home, seven in England, and one each in India, New Zealand, South Africa, and West Indies.

Kohli, meanwhile, smashed 4206 runs in 51 Tests that India won, scoring at an average of 55.34, with 13 centuries. Of his three-figure scores, 10 came in India and one apiece in West Indies, England, and Sri Lanka.