Former India player turned commentator Aakash Chopra has added that performances in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) would be the best to compare Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar as Test batters in overseas conditions as well. He added that South Africa is the only place among those four nations where Kohli has a better average than Tendulkar as well. His comments came after former South Africa batter AB de Villiers recently stated that Tendulkar was the first one to show that subcontinental batters could do well in bouncy and seaming conditions, and Kohli took that forward and raised the bar as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “SENA countries will tell you your true capability. Overall, in SENA countries, 63 matches for Sachin paaji, his average is 51.30, has 17 centuries and 23 half-centuries, and he has 5,387 runs. Virat Kohli – 48 matches, 3,781 runs at an average of 41.54. We shouldn’t look at the centuries because Paaji has 63 matches, and Virat has also scored 12 in 48 matches, but there is a significant difference in the average.”

“South Africa – difficult conditions to bat. Everyone’s average falls there. Paaji’s has also fallen. He has an average of only 46.44 there. He has five centuries to his name in 15 matches and 1,161 runs. Virat Kohli steals the march in South Africa. He has an average of 49.50 – the only place where he is averaging more than Sachin paaji. He has played nine matches and has two centuries and four half-centuries,” he further added.

However, Aakash Chopra also added that Virat Kohli’s numbers in England are far inferior to Sachin Tendulkar’s.

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“Sachin paaji has played 17 matches in England, 30 innings, and scored 1,575 runs at an average of 54.31, which includes four centuries. Virat Kohli has also played 17 matches, 33 innings, and has scored 1,096 runs. His average is only 33.21. 54 to 33 – there is a difference of more than 20. The one bad tour has probably brought the numbers way down. So Virat Kohli’s England numbers are not stacking up. If we compare to Paaji, they are nowhere close,” he said.

“Sachin paaji played only 11 matches in New Zealand, and there too he has an average of 49.52. An average of nearly 50 in New Zealand – difficult conditions. He has two centuries and five half-centuries. Virat Kohli has played only four matches. He has an average of 36.00 there. Virat has scored one hundred,” Chopra stated.

“Sachin paaji has played 20 matches in Australia, 38 innings, and has scored 1,809 runs at an average of 53.20. He has six centuries. Virat Kohli has played 18 matches, 34 innings, and has scored 1,542 runs at an average of 46.72. He has seven centuries. So he has struck one extra century for sure, but he has an average of 46, and Sachin paaji had an average of 53. There is still a difference of seven runs,” he concluded.