Babar, Kohli bat like Tendulkar: Ian Bishop

Former West Indies pacer believes the batting style of Pakistan limited-overs captain Babar Azam and Indian captain Virat Kohli is similar to that of batting legend, Sachin Tendulkar.

While talking to former Zimbabwe pacer Pommie Mbangwa in an Instagram live video chat, the former cricketer said that the aforementioned duo play in straight lines like the Indian batting legend.

"Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, who in terms of the straight lines, you remember Sachin Tendulkar," said Bishop. "There's a reason why I think he [Tendulkar] was the best batsman I bowled to as he always played in the straight lines and these two guys (Kohli and Azam) present that."

Azam’s sparkling form has earned him comparisons with Virat Kohli but the elegant right-hander says he has a long way to go before he can be considered the Indian skipper’s equal.

Both top-order batsmen score freely and play the cover drive particularly well. Babar averages above 45 in Tests and 50-plus in both One-day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), putting him in the top five of all three formats.

“He’s one of the best players. I’m still behind him,” Babar told the Cricbuzz website in June this year. “I’ll try to be as good as him and win matches for my country.”

“Asian batsmen have the same technique and strokeplay. I guess some of our shots look similar,” he added.