NEW DELHI: If current or former cricketers, or even cricket fans, are asked about modern-day great batters, Virat Kohli would undoubtedly be among them. However, England captain Ben Stokes surprised everyone with his take while addressing the press conference ahead of the first Ashes Test in Perth.

Stokes termed Steve Smith and Joe Root as the greatest batters of their generation on Thursday, and his omission of Kohli from the list raised eyebrows among fans and pundits.

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Although Root has had limited success in Australia, averaging just 35.68 without a single century, Stokes still rated him alongside Smith, whose dominant home record includes an imposing average of 59.70 against England and 18 hundreds.

"Not too much has changed because he (Smith) just gets runs against us, doesn't he? "That seems to be a constant -- a serious player, has been for a very long time," Stokes said.

"Him and Joe Root, neck-and-neck in my opinion in terms of the greatest batters of this generation." Stokes' evaluation notably excluded Kohli, a detail that immediately sparked debate among fans and experts across the cricketing world.

With the Ashes about to get underway, Stokes detailed the tactical challenge that lies ahead for England. "You always want to come up with ways to try and keep the best players quiet. And that's something that obviously we're going to have to do. It'll be a hard thing to be able to do," he added.

Stokes identified Smith as a crucial influence on the series, noting that, "But if we can keep Steve Smith, minus all the other guys in the batting order, quiet, then we've given ourselves a good chance to achieve the goal that we want."

Stokes knows the record: 13 losses, two draws and no wins in England's last 15 Tests Down Under. He's thinking more about the 2010-11 squad that beat the Australians 3-1.

"I've come here absolutely desperate to get home on that plane in January as one of the lucky few captains from England who have come here and been successful," he said. "A lot has been spoken of the history and how it has gone for England - this is our chance to create our own."