All time Test XI's

[sussexpob]

Aussie - 1985 onwards

Hayden
Langer
Ponting
Smith
Border
S Waugh
Gilchrist
Warne
Johnson
Cummins
McGrath

Simon Katich had an exceptional record as opener, and if this team was playing in Asia, he could throw in some handly overs as a spinner. In fact, once Katich got settled in the team and an extended run, his record is very good. Its a toss up between him and Langer.

Michael Clarke was an exceptional player when his back wasn't playing him up, which was often especially at the start. I fade towards him over Border, as Clarke had a brilliant record against SA and IND at a time they were the best 2 opponents, whereas Border had one standout team in his era to play against and had a pretty average record vs the Windies, where as other quality players in his era still scored runs against them mostly.

Dizzy Gillespie walks in my team ahead of Johnson. At his very peak there was not a contest really, unless we take Johnson's peak as one series. Gillespie may have added 2-3 runs onto his average playing a year or two after his fitness plummeted to almost zero and he was bowling 10mph under what he used to, but his average also comes through 3 or 4 of the statistically hardest years in history to bowl, where as Johnsons career fits almost perfectly between that later 2000s batting peak and the start of Australian pitches in 2016 starting to produce ridiculous amounts of runs.

[Gingerfinch]

Johnson was more of a personal pick. He could be equally as awful as he could brilliant. He also adds a different dynamic to my bowling attack. McGrath and Cummins are very similar, whereas Johnson had pace and hostility. As Arthur has mentioned, Harris would be in contention as would Craig McDermott and Brett Lee.

[sussexpob]

Johnson was more of a personal pick. He could be equally as awful as he could brilliant. He also adds a different dynamic to my bowling attack. McGrath and Cummins are very similar, whereas Johnson had pace and hostility. As Arthur has mentioned, Harris would be in contention as would Craig McDermott and Brett Lee.

I actually misread your team (for Arthurs corrections). As much as I hate Ryan Harris for that fiasco at Sussex which buggered up our season, he was an excellent bowler in tests, so I would pick him over all I previously mentioned.

[bigfluffylemon]

India

Gavaskar
Sehwag
Dravid
Tendulkar
Kolhi
Pant
Jadeja
Kapil
Ashwin
Shami/Bedi
Bumrah

Top 5 picks itself. Jaiswal might get in there one day if he carries on where he began. Sharma, Azaruddin (sp?) and Laxman are unlucky to miss out, but the competition is stiff.

Ashwin's record speaks for itself, India's best every spinner, no question (and he can bat). Bumrah likewise as a quick. Kapil is surely uncontroversial as India's best fast-bowling allrounder. Jadeja is hugely underrated as a bowler, but he's incredibly effective, especially in the subcontinent, and an all-rounder his record surpasses Kapil.

Pant is probably a controversial pick, but I rate him higher than Dhoni. Dhoni was a magnificent one day player, easily in the India all time ODI XI, but Pant's record with both bat and gloves is better in tests. I am aware I may be alone on this one...

That just leaves the last bowler, and I'd go with Shami if you want a quick, Bedi for a spinner, but you could make a case for B Kumar, Ishant or Zaheer among the quicks, and Kumble and probably several others who were before my time for spinners. Axar Patel and Kuldeep have both done well, but on a limited sample size.

[Arthur Crabtree]

West Indies

Greenidge
Haynes
Viv
Lara
Chanderpaul
Lloyd for Hooper
Dujon
Marshall
Ambrose
Holding for Walsh
Garner

Unfortunately Lance Gibbs retired just as I started watching cricket, or I could have a spinner..

Back up is Gayle, Richardson Bishop, Walsh, Harper, Jacobs. But for early retirement, Bishop would be in the XI for Holding.

WI had a lot of intriguing fast bowlers who had fearsome reputations, but came and went quickly, like Wayne Daniel, Colin Croft, Sylvester Clarke, Patrick Patterson. I guess on their day they could have knocked over any side.

[Arthur Crabtree]

If I was picking a West Indies bat to bowl spin, it would be Chris Gayle. Not far off getting in for his batting also.

[Arthur Crabtree]

bigfluffylemon"

Gavaskar
Sehwag
Dravid
Tendulkar
Kohli
Dhoni for Pant
Kapil Dev/Jadeja
Ashwin
Kumble for Kapil Dev or Jadeja
Bumrah
Shami

Also in squad, Laxman, Pant, Harbhajan, Srinath.

[meninblue]

India

Gavaskar
Sehwag
Dravid
Tendulkar
Kolhi
Pant
Jadeja
Kapil
Ashwin
Shami/Bedi
Bumrah

Top 5 picks itself. Jaiswal might get in there one day if he carries on where he began. Sharma, Azaruddin (sp?) and Laxman are unlucky to miss out, but the competition is stiff.

Ashwin's record speaks for itself, India's best every spinner, no question (and he can bat). Bumrah likewise as a quick. Kapil is surely uncontroversial as India's best fast-bowling allrounder. Jadeja is hugely underrated as a bowler, but he's incredibly effective, especially in the subcontinent, and an all-rounder his record surpasses Kapil.

Pant is probably a controversial pick, but I rate him higher than Dhoni. Dhoni was a magnificent one day player, easily in the India all time ODI XI, but Pant's record with both bat and gloves is better in tests. I am aware I may be alone on this one...

That just leaves the last bowler, and I'd go with Shami if you want a quick, Bedi for a spinner, but you could make a case for B Kumar, Ishant or Zaheer among the quicks, and Kumble and probably several others who were before my time for spinners. Axar Patel and Kuldeep have both done well, but on a limited sample size.

Like this team. The only change i would have is I would play Kumble instead of Bedi. Rishabh is better choice imo than Dhoni. Dhoni after playing for more than a decade could not score even one ton in SENA country. Rishabh Pant already has two even though he hasn't even played half of what Dhoni played.

Rishabh: 20 Test in SENA Avg: 40.61 and 4 tons
Dhoni: 32 tests in SENA. Avg: 31.47 and no ton

[Gingerfinch]

India - 1986 onwards

Gavaskar
Sehwag
Dravid
Tendulkar
Kohli
Dev
Dhoni
Jadeja
Kumble
Srinath
Bumrah

[andy]

I'd be tempted to have Ashwin over Jadeja purely to turn the ball the other way to kumble

[sussexpob]

The problem I have with discussions about Indian players legacies is, people always attribute different criteria to judge different players.

Jadeja is apparently not as good as Kapil Dev based on the fact he hasn't been a world class performer away. Dev averaged 32 outside India with the ball, which in his era is barely test standard for a seamer, and averaged 24 with the bat. Jadeja averages 32 with ball, and 33 with the bat.... which considering eras, the fact he bowls spin is put simply miles better. And Jadeja's performances at tests at home rank him in my opinion as the greatest all round proposition in any given set conditions.... he puts up pretty much the best bowling figures of all time, along with a 40 plus bat average. And Jadeja is one of the greatest fielders of all time..... its simply no contest for me.

Another one is at opener. Indian commentators on the game seem to think Rohit is barely test standard, while Sehwag makes every single best XI without any need to discuss it. Uniquely as an opener, Sharma has a better away record and a much better home record opening the batting. And there is a lot of context in those figures - Sharma is playing in an era that is becoming historically low scoring outside Asia, Sehwag made his runs in the era best for batting (and in the countries with the highest scores).... he peaked in Pakistan on pitches that were so flat, they were unfit for cricket (both teams scored 700 declared, India in one game had an opening stand of 400 in a game that only had 8 wickets fall). I think personally Rohit was pants at the start, but as an opener he matured. On pure skill, I am putting Rohit in there. Given more time at his peak in the test team, I think he'd have become a legit great.

Ashwin v Kumble, not a contest for me. Ashwin bats, Kumble didnt.... Kumble literally couldnt bowl outside of India.

Lastly, and this one is purely on preference. I have to have Ganguly in there. I cant think of a player more naturally talented and exciting to watch, and for me the man who dragged India into being what they are now. The effort destroyed his average, and maybe if he stayed in the ranks he would have a record that justifies his extreme talents. And plus, I always felt Laxman was overrated. His best score in Australia was a dead rubber match. Didnt do well in England, never scored a ton in SA in 10 tests.....never endeared him to me.

Going for Pant over Dhoni..... Dhoni at stages was a bit of a train-wreck keeper, so its decided on batting

Rohit
Sehwag
Dravid
Tendulkar
Virat
Ganguly
Pant
Jadeja
Ashwin
Srinath
Bumrah

[sussexpob]

As for the Windies, I started watching cricket around the time of the decline in their batting especially. My team is not going to be very good compared to others from that aspect.

Like they do in boxing rankings, I am going to leave some slots vacant, because there is simply no one worthy of mention.

Universe Boss
(Opener slot 2 - Vacant)
Sarwan
Lara
Chanderpaul
Adams
(Keeper slot vacant)
Holder
Bishop
Ambrose
Walsh

Dinesh Ramnarine was the closest Windies had to a consistent spinner, but sadly he paid for his career by being the front for the player disputes, and he clearly got binned for that. This team will need some extra batting, hence Holder comes in.

Opener 2 - I guess Braithwaite if you really want a name, but at this point its depressing.

Keeper - Ridley Jacobs had some moments, but he also had times where he looked like he'd been plucked out of a Sunday league pub team. Seemed to remember him being particularly poor at keeping anything coming low at him, and he dropped a lot of catches.

Adams just makes it over another vacant slot. He pretty much had 1-2 stellar years in about a decade of trash, but I give him the benefit of the doubt because he was really likeable in the commentary box. Hooper was too inconsistent... a very sloppy cricketer

Hard to think that a much worse team than this drew against against 90% of the Australia team most people have picked..... Brian Lara .... the greatest I ever seen pick up the willow

[andy]

Jeffrey Dujon as the wicket keeper?

[sussexpob]

Jeffrey Dujon as the wicket keeper?

Not old enough to have remembered him...

[meninblue]

The problem I have with discussions about Indian players legacies is, people always attribute different criteria to judge different players.

Jadeja is apparently not as good as Kapil Dev based on the fact he hasn't been a world class performer away. Dev averaged 32 outside India with the ball, which in his era is barely test standard for a seamer, and averaged 24 with the bat. Jadeja averages 32 with ball, and 33 with the bat.... which considering eras, the fact he bowls spin is put simply miles better. And Jadeja's performances at tests at home rank him in my opinion as the greatest all round proposition in any given set conditions.... he puts up pretty much the best bowling figures of all time, along with a 40 plus bat average. And Jadeja is one of the greatest fielders of all time..... its simply no contest for me.

Another one is at opener. Indian commentators on the game seem to think Rohit is barely test standard, while Sehwag makes every single best XI without any need to discuss it. Uniquely as an opener, Sharma has a better away record and a much better home record opening the batting. And there is a lot of context in those figures - Sharma is playing in an era that is becoming historically low scoring outside Asia, Sehwag made his runs in the era best for batting (and in the countries with the highest scores).... he peaked in Pakistan on pitches that were so flat, they were unfit for cricket (both teams scored 700 declared, India in one game had an opening stand of 400 in a game that only had 8 wickets fall). I think personally Rohit was pants at the start, but as an opener he matured. On pure skill, I am putting Rohit in there. Given more time at his peak in the test team, I think he'd have become a legit great.

Ashwin v Kumble, not a contest for me. Ashwin bats, Kumble didnt.... Kumble literally couldnt bowl outside of India.

Lastly, and this one is purely on preference. I have to have Ganguly in there. I cant think of a player more naturally talented and exciting to watch, and for me the man who dragged India into being what they are now. The effort destroyed his average, and maybe if he stayed in the ranks he would have a record that justifies his extreme talents. And plus, I always felt Laxman was overrated. His best score in Australia was a dead rubber match. Didnt do well in England, never scored a ton in SA in 10 tests.....never endeared him to me.

Going for Pant over Dhoni..... Dhoni at stages was a bit of a train-wreck keeper, so its decided on batting

Rohit
Sehwag
Dravid
Tendulkar
Virat
Ganguly
Pant
Jadeja
Ashwin
Srinath
Bumrah

Jadeja bowling stats are good but variations wise he is not even as good as chinaman Kuldeep Yadav. Anil Kumble as right handed spinner had better variations as well and troubled even the best of previous test players who played spin well even in Asian subcontinent. What Jaddu is very good at is stump to stump bowling. Add to it that the current Indian, Pakistani and SriLankan test batsmen cannot play spin properly compared to yesteryear players of these three teams, the overall batsmanship against spin is at disgusting low levels than those of previous times. Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli and the new generation batsmen struggle against spinners. The batsmen who can play spin and dominate them are not there. Still, i would have Jaddu as third player because in India we need 3 spinners anyway and his batting and fielding is clearly better than Kumble and Ashwin and he will make the spin duo of Ashwin and Kumble more stronger. So he is in the team as a better overall player.


Saurav was never a big innings player. In India we have many players who have scored doubles. Even Cheteshwar Pujara was a better test batsman than Saurav. But still neither VVS nor Chet would not be in team because Virat is easily the better of the three and his energy as a fielder is better than all of them. The only plus with Saurav was that he could bowl a spell or two, but with Ashwin, Kumble and Jaddu who are capable of bowling 40+ overs an innings if required, then Kapil who could easily take heavy workload of pacer and Bumrah to bowl moderate spells, Saurav's bowling is not required at all and a better batsman cannot be dropped because that extra spell of bowling is not giving the team a advantage in all time Indian Test playing 11.