India, May 13 -- The retirement of Virat Kohli removes from Test cricket the biggest character from among the four batting stalwarts who have stamped their class over the last decade and a half. Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson have been the batting anchor of their national team as well as provided them with a distinct identity.

If the 1980s saw Test cricket celebrate great allrounders - Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Richard Hadlee and Imran Khan - the last two decades with cramped schedules that have taken a physical toll on the speed merchants have truly belonged to these great batters. That elite club will now be reduced to three.

A career average of 50 plus is considered the hallmark of an all-time great Test batter, and th...