Virat Kohli or Steve Smith? Shane Warne joins the best Test batsman debate

Mumbai: Team India captain Virat Kohli and his Australian counterpart Steve Smith have been very often considered as two of the best batsmen in cricket.

While Kohli signed off 2017 with an aggregate score of 2818 runs from all formats, the 28-year-old Steve Smith, who has scored 1337 runs across formats this year, will be playing the third and fourth Ashes Tests against England this year.

While Steve Smith leads the charts for the top batsmen in Tests, Virat Kohli is currently leading the table in ODIs and T20Is.

Australian spin legend Shane Warne admitted that it was difficult to comment on who is the best batsman in Tests, saying that players like them are super-competitive.

“It's hard to split Virat Kohli and Smith for the title of No.1 Test batsmen in the world at the moment and the best players like the battle and are super competitive,” Warne was quoted as saying to cricket.com.au.

He also mentioned that the English players need to be careful while sledging the Aussie captain.

"I'm not sure I'd be sledging him in Perth. If I was England the best thing now would be to not say a word to him when he walks out, just ignore him and give him the silent treatment," he said.

"Engaging him in banter could just ignite the concentration within and lead to a big hundred for the Aussie skipper.

"It's a bit like when the Australian teams that I played in started sledging Brian Lara – we learnt after the seventh or eighth ton that it wasn't a great plan," he further explained.

While Virat Kohli will take a break from cricket to prepare for the South Africa series in January, Rohit Sharma will lead India in the upcoming limited-overs series against Sri Lanka, starting on Sunday. The two Asian teams will face-off in three ODIs and as many T20Is.