Fab 4 Cricket: Kohli, Smith, Root, Williamson — Stats & Verdict

Every era in cricket finds its shorthand. A way to name the excellence you can feel before a ball is bowled. When people say Fab 4, they’re talking about a set of batters who redefined modern batting standards across formats, in all conditions, over an extended run of supremacy. It isn’t a marketing tag. It’s a lived truth from dressing rooms, commentary boxes, and stubborn scorecards.

Fab Four in cricket meaning

The Fab 4 in cricket refers to four contemporaries—Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root, and Kane Williamson—grouped together because they’ve dominated batting across formats and conditions, setting a higher bar for run-making and consistency. The idea is simple: four Test titans, also influential in white-ball cricket, who forged an era.

Who are the Fab 4 in cricket?

• Virat Kohli (India)
• Steve Smith (Australia)
• Joe Root (England)
• Kane Williamson (New Zealand)

They aren’t a formal club. No official award binds them. Yet they share technical virtuosity, relentless scoring, and long, decisive careers. They have owned back-to-back cycles of bilateral tours, World Test Championship phases, and global tournaments, often dictating series narratives by sheer volume of runs.

Why this grouping endures

• Broad mastery: All four are elite Test batters, with tangible white-ball footprints.
• Condition-proof: Runs away from home, and crucially in unfamiliar conditions, made their reputations travel.
• Sustained peaks: Trendlines across many seasons—not hot streaks—define the Fab 4.
• Era leadership: Each led teams through transitions, some as captains, others in spirit and example.

The Fab 4 batsmen list is as settled as any list in modern cricket. Plenty have chased them, some have pushed alongside them, but no one has dislodged these names from the core idea of “modern fab four cricket.”

Profiles: technique, temperament, and the signature

Virat Kohli — The heartbeat

Signature: high-tempo intent, mid-on/midwicket dominance, technical tightening under pressure.

The story of Kohli in Tests is the story of a batter who changed the fitness and intensity standards for a generation. His compact back-and-across trigger, strong bottom hand, and sublime wrists let him work balls on off stump through midwicket and mid-on with audacity. Early on, the away seam challenge was a narrative—then he solved it with technique, leaving more, playing later, and going straighter. In chases in ODIs, no one was more clinical, building base, using the field, and destroying death bowling. The morality tale with Kohli has always been desire—hunger to be in the fight, to manufacture tempo where none exists.

Steve Smith — The scientist

Signature: eccentric triggers, ocean of leaves, insatiable attention to length and line, endless patience.

Smith broke batting convention and wrote a manual that only he can execute. The exaggerated shuffle across the crease, the leave that mocks the corridor, the laser judgement of risk: Smith looks like chaos; he is a lab. He neutralizes bowlers by occupying off stump, turns good-length balls to the on side, and refuses to feel hurry. His run-making in Test cricket has the relentlessness of a metronome—series after series, innings after innings, he grinds attacks to compliance. In the Ashes, he has authored epics; in subcontinental sandpits, he has found method on slow turners. White-ball? Useful, adaptable, less blinding than red-ball, but still clutch when the moment calls.

Joe Root — The craftsman

Signature: late contact, balance, seam reading, evolving range (sweeps both ways, ramp over slip).

Root is an exaggeration of the classical English right-hander at his best: still head, late hands, weight on the ball. Then he rewrote himself. Facing long spells of spin across Asia, Root developed the reverse sweep as a scoring release against pace and spin. His control percentages are often elite; his soft hands in seam-friendly conditions turn edges into grounders, crises into base-building. He carries the weight of runs quietly, no theatrics, just a hundred different ways to pierce point and cover, and constant manipulation of spacing. He became more ruthless with conversions once the captaincy burden shifted, finding longer stays and faster scoring gears.

Kane Williamson — The composer

Signature: minimalism, soft hands, symmetry, problem-solving patience.

Williamson is pure. In a sport that rewards noise, he whispers. The bat path is light and straight, the defense compact, the judgment pristine. He plays under his eyes, late, and with soft hands that take the pace off edgeable deliveries. His game travels because it’s built on universal truths: balance, timing, and a deep understanding of fields. Williamson’s fourth-innings serenity is an education—the ability to ignore the match noise and bat by fundamentals. In ODIs, he is the best conductor: anchoring with intelligence, letting stroke-makers flourish, accelerating just enough when needed.

Fab 4 Test stats and analysis: where the legend truly lives

The Fab 4 are Test-first cricketers. That’s the arena where their reputations are permanent. You can argue about strike rates and T20 roles; you can’t argue with mountains of first-innings hundreds, grim away runs, and match-shaping fourth-innings effort.

Key Test metrics that separate the Fab 4

• Batting average at scale: all four hover around or well above the gold standard for long careers.
• Away consistency: runs in SENA and Asia both—nobody survives in this group without them.
• Conversion rate: not just fifties; hundreds, doubles, and the will to bat all day.
• Fourth-innings output: not all equal here, but each has a signature fourth-innings statement.
• Versus elite pace and spin: runs against high-quality attacks, not just flat-track accumulation.

Test footprint by player (expert lens)

• Steve Smith: the highest Test peak by average, unmatched series-dominance streaks, century frequency that belongs with the gods. His command in the Ashes is almost mythic. On tricky Asian pitches, he adapts with patient angles and slow-burn accumulation.
• Kane Williamson: sublime control and a weight of runs that appear effortless; home colossus and away truth-teller. He has crushing hundreds in low-scoring games, where every run is gold.
• Joe Root: has produced scorching runs in Asia against spin, with technical improvisations that changed the playbook. Also consistent in seam conditions; his recent run-banks post-captaincy are a nod to freedom and clarity.
• Virat Kohli: the most complete competitor, with a defining phase of away hundreds that silenced the one lingering critique. His intensity made bowlers feel hunted. Built decisive first-innings platforms, and in second-innings chases he often carried belief as currency.

Test conditions: SENA vs Asia

SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) conditions demand a tight off-stump game, late contact, and courage against bounce. Asia demands attrition, soft hands against spin, and the craft to find singles while denying close-in fielders oxygen.

• Smith in SENA: supreme. In Australia and England in particular, he has monumental sequences of run-scoring that few can match.
• Root in SENA: excellent across the board, with the best seam technique of the four when ball moves late. His England returns, as both anchor and aggressor, remain highly bankable.
• Kohli in SENA: transformed himself to meet the challenge, especially in Australia and later in England, with a more disciplined leave and straighter bat face.
• Williamson in SENA: elegant and effective, slightly overshadowed by Smith and Root in raw volume in those specific conditions, but never fragile.

• Root in Asia: the most prolific in recent memory among non-Asian batters, with sweeps both ways, runs at will in Sri Lanka and India, and a method that refuses to be caged.
• Smith in Asia: highly successful, though less showy; phenomenal temperament carries him when scoring options feel limited.
• Williamson in Asia: quality hundreds in taxing conditions, often setting up matches by batting long and mistake-free.
• Kohli in Asia: dominant spell of batting stability at home, hundreds in clusters, boundary control with spinners under the lid.

Test fourth-innings record and chases

Fourth-innings batting is survival turned into art. The pitch is tired, bowlers are on instinct, fields are creative.

• Williamson: calm game scales brilliantly to fourth-innings pressure. He holds some of the most ice-cold chases of the era; his soft hands cut edges in half.
• Kohli: strong in statement chases and crisis innings where intent matters more than strike rate; often sets the tone for the dressing room.
• Root: naturally good, especially when he reverses the field with sweeps and late cuts, minimizing dot-ball pressure.
• Smith: usually prefers imposing first-innings narratives; still has match-saving powers when the grind is pure.

Versus top-ranked bowling attacks

Against peak pace quartets or high-class spin combinations, the Fab 4’s separation grows.

• Smith: uncanny control against nagging lengths and relentless pace. Rarely gives a bowler a pattern to exploit. Against around-the-wicket angles, he rides the line.
• Root: late play turns nibble into noise. Makes bowlers adjust, not the other way around.
• Kohli: edges reduced when he plays late and straight; when control is high, he can dominate even relentless attacks.
• Williamson: near-perfect decision-making. Rarely beaten on judgment; his leaves are messages to the bowling team.

Conversion rates and big hundreds

It isn’t enough to reach fifty. Fab 4 reputations were minted by going deep.

• Smith: century-to-innings frequency that rivals historical greats. Big hundreds come in clusters.
• Williamson: outstanding hundred-to-double conversion; he loves a match sealed by volume.
• Root: improved conversion in recent seasons, adding double hundreds to his profile, including in Asia.
• Kohli: a phase of hundred-stacked series in Tests and an ODI conversion standard that redefined chase mastery.

Captaincy effect

Leadership changes performance for some, liberates others.

• Root post-captaincy: freer scoring, better conversion, visible uplift.
• Kohli as captain: set cultural tone, carried enormous load; after stepping away from the role, a touch more simplicity at the crease.
• Williamson as captain: equilibrium unchanged; whether captain or not, the same poise.
• Smith post-leadership: batting excellence barely flickered; the method transcends role.

World Test Championship cycles

Across cycles, the Fab 4 have been central characters. They’ve amassed points on grinding tours, delivered in neutral finals, and controlled narrative arcs. The short version: when their teams succeed in the WTC, one or more of these four have carried or launched the decisive innings.

Test verdict snapshot

• Best career peak: Steve Smith
• Best Asia record among non-Asian batters: Joe Root
• Most balanced all-conditions presence: Virat Kohli
• Best fourth-innings temperament: Kane Williamson
• Best hundred frequency: Steve Smith
• Best hundred-to-double ratio: Kane Williamson
• Most improved conversion in recent seasons: Joe Root

A simple comparative table to frame the conversation

Category	Edge
Batting average (career peak)	Smith
Runs in Asia vs spin	Root
Away runs in SENA	Smith
All-conditions balance	Kohli
Fourth-innings poise	Williamson
Century frequency	Smith
Double hundreds propensity	Williamson
Post-captaincy uptick	Root
Chase temperament (Tests)	Williamson/Kohli

Fab 4 ODI stats and analysis: the white-ball charter

The Fab 4 are not identical propositions in ODIs. Kohli is a phenomenon; Williamson is the perfect conductor; Root is a metronome who can surge; Smith is a situational force rather than a table-topper.

Virat Kohli in ODIs: the chase architect

• Record-setting hundreds: the ODI benchmark has his name on it.
• Chasing mastery: reads targets like equations; minimal risk shots, relentless singles, well-timed bursts.
• Strike rate dynamics: progressive without losing shape—picks the right matchups, accelerates with the field.
• Against spin: walks down, finds midwicket and mid-on; against pace: the on-drive and cover-punch scare any line.

Joe Root in ODIs: the glue with hidden teeth

• Middle-overs consistency: keeps the board ticking when setters fall away; rare dot-ball clusters.
• Anchoring under pressure: often best when rescue acts are required; converts ones into twos as a habit.
• Finishing gear: underrated; will cross 90 and finish games without headlines.

Kane Williamson in ODIs: the strategist

• Match control: dictates tempo; doesn’t let bowlers dictate fields.
• Field dissection: late cuts, drops-and-runs, and threaded drives. Allows partner-attackers to flourish.
• Record vs top attacks: values his wicket like currency; doesn’t waste starts.

Steve Smith in ODIs: pure situational class

• Middle-order fix-it: when wickets fall, Smith repairs the innings; when settled, he can go vertical.
• Off-pace mastery: cuts, paddles, and off-side thread; punishes plans that miss.
• Finals temperament: calm head, right pace for the stage.

ODI match situations where each excels

• Base-building chase of a par score: Kohli, Root, Williamson in that order.
• Rapid rebuild after early collapse: Smith, Root, Williamson.
• High target requiring persistent tempo: Kohli, then Smith if he’s in early.
• Spin-heavy middle overs: Root and Kohli often best, Williamson next.
• Death overs as set batter: Kohli first; Smith and Root effective if well-set; Williamson crafts rather than bludgeons.

Quick ODI comparison table

Scenario	Best-fit batter
Chasing 280–320 range	Kohli
Chasing with 3 down early	Smith
Anchoring on a two-paced pitch	Williamson
Converting 80 into 120+	Kohli
Spin choke in middle overs	Root
Tournament knockout calm	Kohli/Williamson

Fab 4 T20I stats and analysis: role clarity matters

T20I narratives are often role-dependent. Among the Fab 4, only Kohli has a T20I body of work that sits at the very top tier by average and big-match performance. Williamson is an elite anchor and strategist, Root is scarcely seen in T20Is despite clear skill, and Smith has been used as a floater without consistent value at the international level compared to his Test might.

Virat Kohli in T20Is

• Elite chasing: the same ODI brain at a sprint.
• Range: can pace 30 off 25 into 70 off 45; finds gaps at will in the arc from long-on to extra-cover.
• Big stage temperament: raises his baseline when the lights are harshest.

Kane Williamson in T20Is

• Anchor plus: savvy angles, late cuts, and the occasional gear shift.
• Powerplay to middle: keeps risk low, allows hitters to cycle around him.
• Captaincy value: maximizes resources, even when strike rate isn’t headline-worthy.

Joe Root in T20Is

• Underrated T20 batter in concept: elite against spin, late play against pace, strong ramp game.
• National selection context reduced his T20I volume; franchise windows underplayed.

Steve Smith in T20Is

• Classical toolbox not fully leveraged at that tempo.
• Best at No. 3–4 when early wickets fall; acts as glue rather than a finisher.

Fab 4 home vs away: what actually changes

Home advantage matters, but great players carry techniques that shrink the gap.

• Smith: home is dominance; away is still formidable, with the most reliable SENA portfolio.
• Williamson: home is poetry; away remains a stream of important runs—less about volume explosions, more about important innings in tough games.
• Root: home is fluent; away in Asia he is the best visiting batter of his generation, by method and output.
• Kohli: home brings hundreds in clusters; away in Australia and England he authored defining tours that set his Test legacy.

SENA vs Asia: a compact verdict

• Best SENA returns: Smith
• Best Asia returns: Root
• Best overall cross-condition balance: Kohli
• Most pressure-proof technique in both corridors: Williamson

Fab 4 4th-innings record and clutch scoring

Clutch is more than one metric. It’s the ability to bat for time, or to bat to a target, on surfaces that have opinions.

• Williamson: the fourth innings is his quiet theatre; his shot selection remains unruffled.
• Kohli: finds tempo quickly, carries mental pressure for the dressing room, lifts chases that need belief.
• Root: manipulates fields in low-stress motion, even in high-stress chases, diffusing bowler plans.
• Smith: a mountain-scaler early in the match, still fully capable when the script demands.

Fab 4 in the World Test Championship

Across cycles, they have been backbone players. Think of every finalist, every table-topping surge, every marquee away series that built points—one or more of the Fab 4 was a principal contributor. First-innings control wins WTC Tests; these four specialize in that. On greentops, on slow turners, on abrasive decks, if you go back through scorecards, their fingerprints are everywhere.

Fab 4 vs top-ranked teams and bowlers

• Against high-pace batteries: Smith rarely flinches, Root turns edges soft, Kohli’s early judgment becomes decisive, Williamson’s leaves are masterclass material.
• Against elite spin: Root paces innings with sweeps at will, Kohli manufactures singles without succumbing to trap fields, Williamson plays late and kills bat-pad, Smith digs in axis-first with long inhibition windows.

Consistency and conversion: beyond averages

Averages are blunt. In-depth lenses create a richer picture.

• Fifty-plus per innings ratio: Smith’s is otherworldly; Williamson and Root stack steady platforms; Kohli’s surge periods outstrip all.
• Fifty-to-hundred conversion: Smith’s conversion spikes in purple patches; Williamson pushes fifties into big ones; Root’s conversion improved significantly in the last few seasons; Kohli’s ODI conversion standards are unmatched.
• Control/mistake percentage: Root and Williamson generally lead on control; Smith plays at more balls by design but reduces risk by line ownership; Kohli’s control peaks when he commits to the off-stump leave.

Before/after captaincy arcs

• Root: unshackled after handing over the role—faster scoring, more expressive innings.
• Kohli: initial captaincy period coincided with monumental fitness and mental standards, then a recalibration with bat-only focus.
• Williamson: role-neutral output—philosopher captain who bats the same.
• Smith: leadership or not, the routine is the performance.

Best among Fab 4 — the expert’s verdicts by format and lens

There’s no single scoreboard that ends the debate. But if you force sharp calls:

Career peak in Tests

• Steve Smith. Century frequency and peak average tilt it his way.

Most complete Test batter across conditions

• Virat Kohli edges it for balance across formats and conditions, though Root in Asia and Smith in SENA create a razor-thin spread.

Most productive Test batter in Asia

• Joe Root. A masterclass in spin-batting evolution.

Most effective fourth-innings temperament

• Kane Williamson. Calm as a method, not a mood.

ODIs, all-time impact

• Virat Kohli. Chase architecture, hundreds record, and crunch performances settle the argument.

T20Is, big-match value

• Virat Kohli. No one among the four has combined average, strike timing, and pressure handling better.

Fab 4 ranking right now, all-format weight

Kohli at No. 1 for cross-format impact, Smith for red-ball supremacy, Root for Asian mastery and recent red-ball volume, Williamson for pressure-proof presence and decision-making under duress. If you force a one-line rank by overall career value: Kohli > Smith ≈ Root > Williamson, with margins so slim that context can invert them on any given day.

Fab 4 vs Fab 5: where does Babar Azam fit?

The conversation grew into Fab 5 because Babar Azam joined the mythos. It wasn’t a gift. He earned it with white-ball precision and an improving, often elegant red-ball game.

• Tests: Babar’s away record has matured, especially in Asia; SENA has seen fine knocks but remains a frontier for volume. He is trending upward in craft and discipline.
• ODIs: comfortably among the very best of his generation—averages, consistency, and anchor-finisher duality put him right in the argument with Kohli as the premier ODI batter of the modern age.
• T20Is: elite returns, and stylistically closer to Williamson’s anchor brain with the gear to outrun fields.

Where does he rank? In Tests, he’s now in the outer orbit of the Fab 4, closing gaps with sustained runs. In ODIs and T20Is, he has the credentials to be considered a core part of a Fab 5 conversation. If you’re willing to morph the label to reflect cross-format reality, Babar is in.

The next-gen Fab 4: who is knocking?

Cricket never pauses. A new set is already forming shape.

• Harry Brook: strike-rate aggression in Tests without hemorrhaging wicket value; range against spin and pace, fearless options square of the wicket; white-ball readymade.
• Yashasvi Jaiswal: audacious left-handedness in Tests, appetite for big scores, and T20 gears that can vaporize plans.
• Shubman Gill: classical technique with modern efficiency; ODIs already a base of excellence; Test ceiling looks high with time on the ball.
• Travis Head: chaos generator; flips modern Test batting by turning matches in a session; white-ball menace with lofted power and horizontal bats.

If you expanded to a next-gen six or seven, you’d speak of Babar as still a bridge, alongside the likes of Marnus Labuschagne in red-ball, and Mohammad Rizwan’s T20 consistency, with emerging names from Pakistan, India, England, Australia, and New Zealand who will own windows of dominance.

Fab 4 vs legends: Sachin, Ponting, Kallis, Sangakkara

Era comparisons are hard because contexts mutate: DRS, two new balls in ODIs, fielding standards, bat quality, pitches, and schedule density. Still:

• Tendulkar’s all-format longevity and pioneering away success are a mountain few can scale; Kohli’s ODI record and Test away hundreds bring him on the same map for white-ball and big-stage impact.
• Ponting’s pull and domineering No. 3 presence match well with Kohli’s temperament; Smith’s red-ball peak is a better comp for run-churn, though their methods differ vastly.
• Kallis is a statistical universe on his own because he bowled; purely as a batter, his average and match influence echo Williamson’s methodical mastery.
• Sangakkara’s late-career ascension and conversion capabilities look familiar when Root’s recent run-banks or Williamson’s double-ton rhythm are viewed across series.

What changes across eras is not the requirement to be great; it’s the way you get there. The Fab 4 adapted to analytics-heavy bowling plans, data-led matchups, and relentless touring. Their greatness survives any comparison’s fine print.

Narratives and innings that linger

• Kohli’s twin-innings defiance in Australia, all straight bat and stern leave, realigned perceptions of his away competence. In white-ball chases, he turned improbable into routine, slicing risk into portions and devouring them.
• Smith’s twin hundreds at Edgbaston in a high-pressure Ashes opener were an act of defiance and craft—a man building a fortress with idiosyncrasies that no one could storm. When bowlers aimed at his pads, he turned them into scoring angles; when they went short, he rode bounce like a surfer who sees the break first.
• Root’s double in Chennai was a lesson on batting time and removing panic from spin conditions. Later, the reverse scoop over the slips against high pace in Test cricket symbolized an evolution: technique so complete it could be playful.
• Williamson’s last-day serenity in Christchurch, and an epic away rescue in Karachi, both felt like meditations. Fielders crept in; he exhaled. Bowlers changed plans; he adjusted by a single, half-beat touch.

What the data quietly says

Sift through Statsguru and you’ll find patterns that match the eye test:

• Smith’s century frequency in Tests is, over long spans, unprecedented in the modern game.
• Root’s run density in Asia outstrips any non-Asian batter of his cohort by distance.
• Kohli’s ODI chasing stripe and hundreds stack create a tier of one; his Test away-surge period stays a template for technical metamorphosis.
• Williamson’s conversion into doubles relative to opportunities is outstanding, and his fourth-innings average under pressure looks the part.

How bowlers talk about them

• Against Smith: “We bowl to a plan he’s already filed and solved.” Lines that work against others bleed runs against him.
• Against Kohli: “You feel him before you bowl to him.” The mental pressure alters length, and any drift into his pads or width on off lets him boss the arc.
• Against Root: “It’s like bowling to a wall with a thousand hidden doors.” He opens scoring angles where there weren’t any.
• Against Williamson: “You think you’re beating him, and then you realize he hasn’t been taking risks at all.” Mistakes against him feel more expensive because he never gifts cheap moments.

Training-ground truths

• Kohli turned physical preparation into a competitive edge, lifting the team baseline.
• Smith’s method is a library of micro-drills: repetitive, specific, and fanatical about length perception.
• Root’s practice has a problem-solving character: endless sweeps, ramp rehearsals, and scenario netting.
• Williamson’s sessions are calm, high in quality, and structured around feel and rhythm rather than volume for volume’s sake.

The quiet stat that matters

The true separation emerges in the innings that follow failures. Greatness isn’t a streak of hundreds; it’s the refusal to stay down. Each of the Fab 4 has prominent bounce-back patterns—an early low followed by a heavy recovery. Teams plan for this. Captains schedule declarations or bowling changes around this anticipation: if he’s in, the plan can’t be slow.

FAQs: concise answers for common debates

Fab four in cricket meaning

A widely accepted grouping of four elite batters—Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root, and Kane Williamson—recognized for sustained dominance across formats and conditions.

Who are the Fab 4 in cricket?

Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root, and Kane Williamson.

Why are they called the Fab 4?

Because, collectively, they became the standard of excellence for batting in the modern era—transcending conditions, thriving across formats, and shaping series outcomes repeatedly.

Best among Fab 4?

• Tests: Steve Smith at peak, with Kohli and Root close on different axes, and Williamson the pressure king.
• ODIs: Virat Kohli by a clear margin.
• T20Is: Virat Kohli for big-match value.

Is Babar Azam part of the Fab 4 or Fab 5?

The classic Fab 4 remains Kohli, Smith, Root, Williamson. Many now use Fab 5 to include Babar Azam, especially on the strength of his white-ball output and an advancing Test record.

Are the Fab 4 still the best?

Yes as a collective benchmark. Individual peaks ebb and flow, but they remain the reference standard. A few next-gen batters are closing gaps, particularly in specific formats.

Fab 4 Test stats vs home and away—who leads?

• Home: all are monstrous; Smith and Williamson look inevitable.
• Away in SENA: Smith leads on volume; Root and Kohli are close; Williamson remains steady.
• Asia: Root leads for visiting batters; Kohli dominates at home; Smith and Williamson are adaptors with excellent returns.

Fab 4 vs legends like Sachin, Ponting, Kallis, Sangakkara

Comparable in various metrics and methods. Era differences complicate a one-line verdict. Kohli’s ODI credentials, Smith’s Test peak, Root’s Asian excellence, and Williamson’s fourth-innings sangfroid all stand comfortably in that company.

Who could replace the Fab 4 in the next decade?

Names most often mentioned: Harry Brook, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Travis Head. They’re building resumes across formats with the ambition and methods to last.

Closing thoughts: why the Fab 4 still define batting

The Fab 4 aren’t a social media construct. They are the neatest name for a phenomenon that selectors, bowlers, coaches, and fans have lived through: the last decade-plus of world cricket bent around the runs these four kept scoring. One reinvented the way you chase. One turned batting quirks into the most unstoppable red-ball machine of his generation. One reinvented himself to master spin in its own backyard. One made pressure feel like a solvable puzzle.

Go format by format, condition by condition, cycle by cycle: they’re not perfect in the same places, but together they form a prism through which modern batting is best understood. If you want to know whether a young batter is truly great, you don’t ask for his average alone. You ask how he looks in Durban swing and Delhi dust. You ask what he does on the fourth evening with men around the bat. You ask how he chases when the asking rate doesn’t care for reputations.

The Fab Four set those questions. And for a long stretch of this era, they’ve owned the answers.

Data note: comparative views and qualitative calls align with long-run patterns visible via ESPNcricinfo Statsguru, ICC rankings, and match archives. For live number checks and sortable splits (home/away, SENA/Asia, fourth innings, conversion rates), consult Statsguru filters and ICC format rankings.