While Virat Kohli has struggled in the last five years, his Fab 4 contemporaries Steve Smith, Joe Root and Kane Williamson have kept going

Steve Smith scored a century on Day 1 of the Test series opener against Sri Lanka while also completing 10,000 runs in the longest format of the game.

Virat Kohli and Steve Smith have experienced contrasting fortunes in recent months. While one has had to return to domestic cricket after 12 years following a dramatic loss of form, the other just brought up his 35th Test hundred and became the latest batter to join the 10,

Virat Kohli was not mentioned in the conversation as former Australia captain Ricky Pon000ting debated who could be the "best player of this generation." The Aussie legend sided with Steve Smith just moments after he reached the milestone of 10,

Ricky Ponting left out Virat Kohli and called Steve Smith 'best player of the generation' after he scored his 35th Test hundred at Galle. Ponting also mentioned Joe Root and Kane Williamson as players who are on par with Smith but omitted Kohli from the list.

Steve Smith completed his 10,000 Test runs during the Australia vs Sri Lanka 1st Test match at Galle International Stadium in Galle.

Ricky Ponting and Steve Smith (Source: Jason McCawley - CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images and ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images) recently advanced into the elusive list of cricketers with 10,