Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed his picks for the best current Test batters in the world, with his choices sparking plenty of discussion. While Ashwin backed several established names, he eventually placed Joe Root at the top of his list and surprisingly overlooked KL Rahul at the final stage of the debate.
Ashwin, who has retired from international cricket and the IPL, remains closely involved with the game through franchise cricket and commentary. During a segment shared by Cricinfo titled ‘Winners Stay On, Current Test Batters’, he was asked to choose between a series of prominent players based on their current standing and form.
Ravichandran Ashwin initially backed New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell over England stars Harry Brook and Ben Duckett, as well as South Africa captain Aiden Markram and Rachin Ravindra. However, when Mitchell was compared with KL Rahul, Ashwin changed his selection. “Mitchell or KL Rahul? Any numbers that you can give me on both of them? How much they’re averaging in the recent past? I’ll go with KL Rahul,” Ashwin said.
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Rahul then got the better of Kamindu Mendis before Ravichandran Ashwin opted for Temba Bavuma when asked to choose between the India opener and the South Africa captain. “KL Rahul or Temba Bavuma? Under pressure, I’ll go with Temba,” Ashwin explained.
It just had to come down to two 🐐🐐 Who does Ash pick? 👀 pic.twitter.com/aordn1fNEh
— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) August 18, 2026
The former Indian spinner then picked Yashasvi Jaiswal over Bavuma and Babar Azam. However, Jaiswal’s run ended when he was compared with Australia’s Travis Head. Ashwin subsequently backed Head over Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant.
The final stages of the exercise saw Ashwin choose Joe Root over Head and, ultimately, over Steve Smith. Root’s consistency and exceptional record in Test cricket made him Ashwin’s final selection.
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Root remains one of the most prolific active batters in the longest format. He has amassed more than 14,000 Test runs and sits second on the all-time list behind India legend Sachin Tendulkar, who finished with 15,921 runs. With 14,114 Test runs, Root is currently 1,807 runs behind Tendulkar’s record. Australia’s Steve Smith is the closest active batter behind Root, having accumulated 10,878 runs.
Ashwin’s selections underline the changing landscape of Test batting, with established stars such as Root, Smith and Head continuing to compete with the next generation. His decision to place Root above Smith based on current form also highlights the England batter’s sustained excellence in the traditional format.
