Is Jaddu a better player than Kohli in Tests? Here is a closer analysis of their stats

Indian batting stalwart Virat Kohli is arguably one of the finest batters for India, not only in the Tests but across all formats. The now-retired batting maestro boasts an impressive record in Tests. With nearly 10,000 runs under his belt at a stunning average of 46.85, Kohli smashed a staggering 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries in his 17-year-long Test career. Besides, his form peaked to a whole new level during India's home Test series against South Africa in 2019, where he slammed his career-best score of 254* to hand the visitors a brutal 3-0 drubbing. 

Despite being India's most prolific run-getter in this format, Kohli's decline in form commenced following the conclusion of the first World Test Championship (WTC) cycle in 2021. Although Kohli remained as the second-highest run scorer for India across all three WTC cycles, his recent numbers suggest that he is already way past his prime. Unlike his glory days, Kohli often started faltering towards the fag end of his Test career and failed to live up to his fans' ambitious expectations. It becomes even more concerning when his stats are put together alongside the recent stats of Ravindra Jadeja, who appears to be having a comparatively healthier record than him in Test cricket. 

So are we safe to assume that Jadeja has a better record than King Kohli in Tests? Read on as we attempt to dissect the recent batting stats of the two legendary Indian players across all three WTC cycles since 2019. 

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Comparison of their batting stats (Since 2019)

Since 2019, Kohli has been India's second-highest run-getter in Test cricket, but has averaged only 35.36. While his average remained uncharacteristically low, Kohli has only managed five centuries and 11 half-centuries across 79 Test innings. On the contrary, Jadeja, who bats a lot lower down the order, averages 40.96 and is not far behind in terms of century count with three hundreds (and counting) under his belt. Even though Jadeja does not feature as a frontline batter for India in the Tests, he still remains the fifth-highest run-getter for his side since 2019. In addition, Jadeja has contributed with the bat on a consistent basis and has 16 fifty-plus scores as opposed to Kohli, who only has 11 fifty-plus scores. 

Batter	Innings	Runs	Average	Half-century	Century
Virat Kohli	79	2617	35.36	11	5
Ravindra Jadeja	64	2212	40.96	16	3

Final verdict

While it will be fair to acknowledge the obvious decline in Kohli's form in recent times, one simply can't overlook the long list of achievements that he has managed to garner throughout his illustrious cricketing career. Jadeja, on the other hand, may have found his groove with the bat in recent times, but is far off from breaking some of Kohli's unthinkable batting records. Kohli's greatness will remain in its own place and can't be touched by any world-class player in the contemporary era.