Steve-Smith-and-Virat-Kohli-Break-Records-at-Lords-in-ICC-WTCSteve Smith vs. Virat Kohli: Who Reigns in World Test Cricket

 

Showing true grit and lateral brilliance, the Australian batting maestro Steve Smith continued to write new records on Day 1 of the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against South Africa. His stubborn 66 off 110 balls steadied the Australian innings against a flurry of wickets; the innings also had him surpassing cricketing greats.

 

Smith's Knock Puts Him Ahead of Tendulkar in ICC Knockout

 

The ongoing love affair between Smith and the Lord’s cricket ground went to new peaks as he became the leading men’s overseas run-scorer at the venue. Smith's 591 runs in six matches, with an average of 59.10, took him over the likes of Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, and Warren Bardsley.

This ceremony at the Home of Cricket further cements his place as one of the most immaculate modern-day Test batsmen.

The 36-year-old had a record-breaking day not only at Lord's. Another significant milestone saw Smith surpass Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar in another elite category. His innings marked his seventh fifty-plus score in ICC tournament knockout matches.

This achievement placed him in second place, one ahead of Sachin Tendulkar's six such scores in 15 matches. Tendulkar has 682 runs at an average of 48.71 in these crucial encounters but has to look up to Smith in this particular metric.

 

Kohli Remains King of Clutch in ICC Tournaments

 

One record, however, remains beyond Smith's reach for now: the unparalleled dominance of Virat Kohli in ICC knockout matches. Kohli is the undoubted king, being the only wicket-taking big player with over 1,000 runs in such pressure-cooker games.

Consistent at his best, Kohli has scored 1,024 runs from 22 matches and 24 innings at an average of 51.20 with one century and nine fifties (a total of 10 scores above fifty), while his knock of 117 against New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup semifinal remains an epitome of clutch performance.

Smith would consider his innings to be a crucial one for Australia, even though it had to end abruptly due to an "error in judgment" against the part-time off-spinner, as he humorously put it. 

Coming in at a precarious 16 for 2, his partnership was instrumental in helping Australia post a decent 212 all out. This was achieved on a somewhat difficult pitch, where Kagiso Rabada nevertheless annihilated the opposition with a fifer.

 

Can Australia Hold the Edge

 

Australia then took the game from South Africa by storm with the ball, having their opponents at 43/4 at the close of Day 1, thereby laying the foundation for a very interesting contest.

As the game evolves, modern greats like Steve Smith and Kohli being compared with legends like Bradman and Sobers adds another layer of interest to the game. Smith's busy trail to greatness, where his strange technique remains one of unwavering focus, ensures that every time he gets to bat, it is an opportunity to either break or extend some record.