Thanks for responding to my World XI One Day Cricket. It is time now to move on to the Test XI. Thirty years is a period I chose to consider a cream of players for this Dream team simply not just because Greatness is a measure of “TIME” on top of anything else like the Heights they reach & the Beauty they preach for the game, but also for the simple reason that I am watching this game for last 27 years. This is the appropriate time to write when the World is going to take on Australia shortly, (Unfortunately when their fortunes are diminishing)
It always conjures up for a Cricket lover to think these combinations-
How would Sachin cope against Windies pace Quartet of Holding, Roberts, Garner & Marshall?
How Lara would have dominated against Dennis Lillee?
How many more runs Sunny would have scored if he was born in this Generation?
My Test XI will be long and detailed one as the game itself unlike my one Day XI.
My World XI-Tests
My Criteria for the opening slot had to be two aspects
• The two most difficult batsmen to dislodge in World Cricket as openers.
• The Batsman who can not only see off the new ball, but also complete two sessions in the first innings without any loss.
“The most complete Opening Batsman I have seen, Brave against the Fast bowling, Quick, nimble and assertive against the spinners which is by no means usual for an Opener”-John Agnew
“He is an Ornament of the game”-Don Bradman
He made his debut against the Windies in a memorable fashion in 1971 and in just four matches he plundered 771 at an average of 151.80.Since then He has scored 13 Centuries of his 34 against them. He amassed more records than any other in the History of the game. He is the Text book of Cricket. He never wore a Helmut, but went for a head gear in the later part of his Career.
He is my unanimous choice for No 1st slot of Opener-Sunil Manohar Gavaskar or fondly “Sunny” or “Little Master”
Record-125 Tests/10122 runs/51.12 Ave/34 Cent/45 Fif/3.67 Cent Rate
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He made his test debut along with the great Viv and was a destructive opening Batsman who fears nothing. He plays the most beautiful rocking square drive and can pull the most difficult of short pitched deliveries with élan. He has scored four Double Hundreds out of 18 Test Centuries. He is my evergreen Hero-Gordon Greenidge, but he misses the slot by a whisker to another great.
He is the obstinate, opinionated, extravagant Yorkshire man the wicket of whose is the most difficult to dislodge in the Game of Cricket. If ever there was a wall in front of the stump, it is his bat. The only player in my team who can see from the Bowler’s run up till the landing with acute depth and play the correct shot. He has Bradmanesque record in First Class Cricket (Mind you-The Games that he played was against the best from the World in County Cricket) He has scored an amazing 48426 runs with 151 Centuries-Legendary.
He is my choice for 2nd opening slot Geoffrey Boycott
Record-108 Tests/8114 runs/47.72 Ave/22 Cent/42 Fif/4.90 Cent Rate
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He is arguably the greatest Left Hand Bat ever after Sir Gary Sobers and Graeme Pollock.
He wields the raised up Bat like a Magician his wand, a Jockey his whip. The ball caresses the Boundary and you turn back to watch him again with glow for the next shot.
He is the only test Batsman to score a 400 runs in an innings, add to it 500 in first class Cricket, a triple Hundred and 5 double hundreds- a modern run machine by name Brian Charles Lara is my choice for One Down, edging out the ever so elegant Greg Chappall Dogged Bat Rahul Dravid. & the talented Ricky Ponting
Record-117 Tests/10818 runs/54.09 Ave/30 Cent/46 Fif/3.90 Cent Rate
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”He plays very much the same way as I played . . . his compactness, his stroke production and his technique”-Don Bradman
He is an amalgamation of my No 1 & No 5 Batsman (technique plus aggression), the most complete Batsman of the modern game. The stance, the grace and the follow through can only be matched by another man from the same Country. He has scored 72 Centuries in International Cricket- A Genius and reincarnation of Sir Don Bradman.
He is my two down -Sachin Tendulkar
Record-123 Tests/10123 runs/57.25 Ave/34 Cent/41 Fif/3.61 Cent Rate
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He scored 4 & 3 in his debut test against India. He went on to score 1710 runs in 1976.He is the most destructive Batsman that I have ever watched and he treats Fast bowlers like school kids bowling at nets. He was my childhood Cricket Hero, most flamboyant, reckless and dominating. He can be rated among greatest 10 Batsman in the History of the game-such is his talent which he uses with disdain. He is the Batsman that every bowler would love to watch at Non striker end.
He has scored the fastest Test Century ever in 81 minutes of 56 balls against England in St John’s in 1985-86.He is the Master Blaster Vivian Alexander Richards. for my 3 DOWN
Record-121 Tests/8540 runs/50.23 Ave/24 Cent/45 Fif/5.04 Cent Rate
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My Five Specialist Batsmen have scored 47717 runs in tests with 144 centuries between them, which stands testimony of the Batting strength of this Team.
My no 7 slot is for a wicketkeeper who was/is also a good Batsman at Test level. I had to pick between two of the greatest keepers that I have seen, compare them like two five hundred rupee notes and then take a coin and toss it out.
The Burly Aussie will not look like a WK, but he is one, the most acrobatic and the most beautiful judge of the direction of the ball. He has taken 93 catches of the Bowling of the Great Dennis the Menace (for batsmen) and he will have the slip fielder bewildered seeing a catch coming to him plucked out by the WK. Simply Amazing Rodney Marsh-technically ahead of Modern Gilly either Batting or Keeping. But he got edged on toss out by an Englishman. Marsh has 343 catches/12 stumpings from 96 matches.
He is a dream Keeper, very fit and agile, one of the greatest, a brilliant stumper for my leggie legend in this team and a Batsman who is very sound to be called one with 5 Centuries.He is Allan Knott His batting ability was the deciding factor here, though very thin. He would have scored 6000 runs and taken 350 catches had he not signed for Kerry Packer.
For young readers, Adam did not play against the Best of the Bowlers, so please do not compare. He already has his rightful place in One day game.
Record-95 Tests/4389 runs/32.75 Ave/5 Cent/30 Fif/250 Catches/19 stumpings
Edition 2: Bowlers in comments section
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After reading the Edition 2 in comments also, I welcome the readers to come up with an all time Cricket Dream Team for Tests which can beat this team. I have one, up my sleeve. I will put it here in couple of weeks.