"Hard to surpass him"- Australian legend Ian Chappell's bold opinion on best Test batter among "Kohli, Root or Smith"

The game has seen many batting greats in the past, but when it comes to modern-day cricket, a few names come to mind when someone talks about the best players from the current generation. However, Virat Kohli was arguably the best batsman in the last decade. That is why he was named as the "ICC Player of the Decade".

But the last couple of years haven't been good for the former Indian skipper in all three formats. But still, his numbers are among the best. However, apart from Virat, there are some other players as well, who are taking this game to another level through their performances.

The likes of Kane Williams, Steve Smith, Joe Root, and Babar Azam are among the top other greats of the modern day. These players have certainly performed well in the last few years as compared to Virat Kohli.

But former legendary Australian cricketer Ian Chappell has a different opinion on it and he reckons that it is not easy to surpass the competitive Virat Kohli for any other cricketer. In his latest column for ESPNCricinfo, Chappell mentioned that there are six players in the race for the best test batters.

Adding to his column, the former Aussie wrote that Virat is a once-in-a-generation player, but his magic has started to fade away a little bit and he needs to rediscover his magical touch.

Chappell wrote, "Kohli is a fine player with a great stroke range, a highly competitive nature, and a thoughtful approach to batting. However, whatever the case - the ageing process, or his having retired as captain - Kohli's output has started to wane and he needs to rekindle the magic."

Furthermore, Chappell discussed Virat's test career, stating that his centuries in both innings of the 2014 Adelaide test were his favorites. He believes that when it comes to the best test batter overall, former Australian Victor Trumper, who was known for his artistic style, and Sir Don Bradman, for whatever he has done, are among the top.

However, he concluded that it is still a big thing to go past Virat for whatever he has achieved in the game. The former Indian skipper made his red-ball debut in 2011 and, so far, he has played 102 Tests for India. Virat has scored 8074 runs, including 27 centuries and 28 half-centuries, which includes seven double centuries.