All-time India Test XI

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • India kicked off their Test series against New Zealand on Thursday, marking their 500th outing in the longest format of the game.

    Virat Kohli’s side became only the fourth nation after Australia, England and the West Indies to reach the landmark.

    Here, we compile their all-time Test XI.

    SUNIL GAVASKAR

    According to some, the greatest Test opener in history, the original little master, is an automatic pick when one selects an all-time India Test XI.

    Sure, his numbers are great – an average of 51.12, the first man to score 10,000 runs and 34 Test centuries, etc. But like a couple of others on this list, Gavaskar’s numbers don’t come close to reflecting his stature as a player.

    Gavaskar was India’s lynch-pin for years and he was one of the very few who dominated the most feared bowling attack of them all – the West Indies.

    Sunny, as he is fondly called, drew as much praise and admiration from his fierce competitors as he did from people back home in India.

    VIRENDER SEHWAG

    The critics said Sehwag’s see-ball-hit-ball style of play would be incompatible in the Test format. Little did they know that the jovial Delhi batsman would find the most success in the longest format of the game, scoring over 8000 runs at an average of nearly 50.

    Beyond that, his career strike rate of 82 in Tests ensured that fans remained engrossed while he was at the crease.

    Sehwag also had the knack of playing some big innings: he scored two triple centuries and a 293 – the three top individual scores by an Indian in Tests.

    Notably, the 293 against Sri Lanka in 2009 was scored in just 254 balls.

    RAHUL DRAVID

    There’s a reason why Dravid is called “The Wall.”

    Since his debut in 1996 – coincidentally, alongside Sourav Ganguly, who narrowly misses out on our team – until his last match, Dravid was synonymous with solidity.

    Apart from maintaining a career average of over 50, Dravid was also the leader of the Indian batting line-up when his form exceeded that of Sachin Tendulkar’s during the 2002-2007 period. Dravid averaged close to 70 in those five years.

    SACHIN TENDULKAR

    Like his role model Sunil Gavaskar, Tendulkar is an automatic pick in this all-time XI.

    In Tendulkar’s illustrious Test career that lasted 24 years, he was the bridge between multiple generations; having played alongside Kapil Dev as well as Virat Kohli.

    Along with Dravid, VVS Laxman and Ganguly – Tendulkar formed one of the most formidable middle-orders in the history of the game.

    Generations of Indian fans grew up idolising the Mumbai batsman. To quote MS Dhoni, “When we were growing up, we used to watch Sachin, he was like God to all of us. He had that aura around him.”

    VVS LAXMAN

    Apart from being the central figure in India’s most famous Test match, Laxman’s career was defined by his crisis management skills.

    Laxman’s statistics are good, but numbers don’t incorporate those times when he steered India from the dumps to respectability – the times when Dravid and Tendulkar were dismissed cheaply and the onus fell on Laxman to dig the Indian team out of a hole.

    Known for his elegant, wristy play, Laxman took a particular liking to the Australian bowlers.

    Steve Waugh’s famous quote puts this into perspective: “If you get Dravid, great. If you get Sachin, brilliant. But if you get Laxman, it’s a miracle.”

    VIJAY HAZARE

    Although Vijay Hazare played only 30 Test matches, he is remembered as one of India’s most iconic cricketers. His record in domestic cricket is rather unbelievable, scoring 18,740 runs at an average of over 58 in his first-class career.

    Hazare’s most famous moment in international cricket was his epic resistance in Australia against Don Bradman’s Invincibles at Adelaide.

    Hazare scored centuries in both innings as most of his teammates struggled to get to double digits.

    MS DHONI

    MS Dhoni strolls into this XI. There’s not a single wicket-keeper batsman in India’s history who even comes close to matching Dhoni’s record.

    During his 90-Test career, Dhoni scored close to 5,000 runs at a reasonable average of 38.09.

    He had a respectable career as India’s Test captain as well. Despite the shambolic away form after 2010, he was the first Indian skipper to take the team to number one in the ICC Test rankings.

    KAPIL DEV

    Kapil Dev is unarguably India’s greatest ever all-rounder, leaving a void so big that it’s yet to be filled, even 22 years after his retirement.

    He continues to remain the best pace bowler India has produced and was India’s leading wicket-taker until Anil Kumble went past his tally of 434 wickets.

    Kapil’s brilliant career won him the Wisden Indian Cricketer of the Century award in 2002, ahead of Gavaskar and Tendulkar.

    ANIL KUMBLE

    Anil Kumble is considered by many as India’s greatest match-winner, having won India countless matches in home conditions in the 1990s and 2000s.

    In the 43 matches that India won with Kumble in the side, the former Karnataka spinner took 288 wickets at a phenomenal average of 18.

    Jumbo, as he is fondly known, became only the second bowler ever to take all 10 wickets in a Test innings. He accomplished the feat against Pakistan in Delhi in 1999.

    Kumble is also the highest Indian wicket-taker (third overall) of all-time, with 619 wickets to his name. Only Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne have taken more wickets in Test history.

    ZAHEER KHAN

    The pacer from Maharashtra had a massively undulating career because of injuries. But despite suffering from several injuries, the master of reverse swing bowling kept coming back and winning matches for India.

    Zaheer was part of and instrumental to some memorable wins for India aboard. In the 2007 Test series against England, he was the star of the show as India won a Test series in England for the first time since 1986.

    BISHAN SINGH BEDI

    If there was one word to describe Bedi’s bowling style, it would be ‘graceful’. Bedi’s use of flight and change of pace was an art form that helped him take 266 wickets in 67 Test matches.

    Bedi had tough competition given India were spoilt for choices with great spin bowlers in the late 1960s and 1970s. Part of the famed spin quartet along with Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Srinivas Venkatraghavan – few can argue against Bedi being one of India’s greatest bowlers.

    What is your all-time India Test XI?

    Have your say by commenting below, using #360fans on Twitter or getting in touch via Facebook.

    Recommended