Cook, Vaughan settle the Virat Kohli vs Joe Root debate

The legendary Fab Four are slowly fading away from the game, making way for the younger lot to lead the legacy ahead. However, the stamp of retirement lays no mark on the unmatched records that these modern-day legends have achieved. While Virat Kohli has concluded his run in Test cricket, his English counterpart, Joe Root, has kept his charge alive and thriving. Over the past few seasons, the bat of Kohli in the longer format had grown silent. However, amid the struggle of Kohli, Root surpassed many records with his top-notch form, and is now standing on the verge of toppling the record of the 'God of Cricket' Sachin Tendulkar as the highest run-scorer in the format. 

Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan compare Virat Kohli and Joe Root across various criteria 

If you ask someone who just tuned into the game of cricket, chances are high for them to term Joe Root a better run-scorer than Virat Kohli in Test cricket. However, those who have followed the rise of these stars from their U-19 days know that there's a margin, not more than a thread's thickness, that could separate the modern-day greats. Root and Kohli, along with Steve Smith and Kane Williamson, have ruled Test cricket for over a decade. Running parallel to their domination was the debate of who eclipses the other in different aspects of the game, from run-scoring to their overall impact.

The debate opened once again as India takes on England in a five-match Test series, but this time without Kohli. Alastair Cook, who witnessed Joe Root overtaking him as England's highest run-scorer not long ago, joined Michael Vaughan to compare Virat Kohli and their compatriot. Rating these stars across five criteria, Vaughan and Cook placed Root and Kohli at various spots to gauge their overall impact on the game.

The first criterion was run-scoring, and both Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook readily placed Kohli ahead of Root in the area. Kohli, who averaged over 50 in Test cricket before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, fields even better numbers in white-ball cricket. Coming up with crucial contributions in the ICC T20 World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy, both tournaments won by India, Kohli is still etched as the most impactful batsman for India. Vaughan iterated Kohli's stature as the 'supreme run machine' across formats, and Cook nodded in agreement.

Moving on to the second area of judgement, the former English skippers rated the stars on the basis of their 'big match moments'. Kohli clearly fared miles ahead of Root in this criterion. The main man behind India's historic chase of 160 against Pakistan at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Melbourne, Kohli is rightfully regarded as the chase master. A winner of the T20 World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy with India, Kohli has experienced and fueled more historic moments for his team than Root has earned the chance to do for England.

A great captain, a proven match-winner for India, Virat Kohli ranks higher than Joe Root in the assessment

Next up, the English players brought in the debate about captaincy, and Virat Kohli again topped the charts. Virat Kohli succeeded MS Dhoni as India's Test captain in 2014 before claiming the all-format leadership two years later. While an overall successful stint, Kohli's greatest feat was marked in Test cricket. The former skipper brought about a new era of India in the longer format, minting a team that thrashed Australia at their home. India, under Kohli, were no underdogs, claiming the pinnacle of ICC Test Rankings five years in a row. Root, on the other hand, had a forgetful phase as England's captain before he swiftly moved away, handing the reins to Ben Stokes.

Moving on further in their assessment, Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan rated Joe Root above Kohli in a criterion, namely, consistency. Kohli had been struggling in the conclusive phase of his Test career, while Joe Root flourished. Root's overall impact for England and scoring runs for the team with a level-headed approach, even when the others struggled, earned applause from the former English stars. Next up, they talked about the ability of these players to handle pressure. Cook could not help but mention how the Indian fans somehow drag Kohli under scrutiny.

The ex-England captain lauded Kohli for not only maintaining his unmatched charge on the field but also navigating his personal lifestyle amid the constant nagging of the media and the general audience. Overall, both Vaughan and Cook rated Kohli higher than Root in four of the five criteria of judgement, highlighting the lasting impact of the Indian star on the game.