Ranchi: Having won 11 consecutive Test series at home, the latest against South Africa(Freedom Trophy) India have surpassed Australia’s 10-consecutive Test series at home. With India becoming the first team to achieve this milestone under the captaincy of Virat Kohli, all eyes are now on the team which will stop their spree.
Team India has proved to be a force to reckon with on the home turf with an excellent track record. Meanwhile, the Asian giants have one of the most dominating batting line-ups in Test cricket with the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mayank Agarwal and Ajinkya Rahane. They have several match-winners, who can win the match on their own.
In the bowling department, the spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja is a big mystery for every opponent in the past few years. On the other hand, India have Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma in the pace department that can make life difficult for any opponent with pace and swing.
There is no hiding to the fact that the Indian cricket team has become a dominating force when it comes to winning Test series at home. While the Indian players are no slouch when it comes to playing the white-ball formats at home, them registering record-breaking streak in Test matches speaks highly about their prowess.
Experts have structured a probable World XI that could take on Team India at home:
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Captain: Kane Williamson
There’s a reason why Kane Williamson is regarded as one of the best in New Zealand cricket if not the best. His name mostly features in the top five of the ICC rankings and it’s the Test average of 52.22 that has helped him largely. The cool and calm Kane is an excellent batter of spin and with his proper batting technique, he can frustrate any bowling department all day long with the bat. Due to his impeccable leadership qualities, Williamson will captain the World XI.
Opener's: Tom Latham and Dean Elgar
The first opener of the team will be New Zealand's batsman Tom Latham. New Zealand's southpaw has an astonishing average of 44.03 in Test cricket and he is a kind of batsman who has the ability to play spin with ease. With his distinctive defensive technique, he is sure shot a good choice to open the innings against Indian pace attack.
Dean Elgar the Proteas opener has been a vital player in their batting lineup for a long time. Elgar too had a great outing(160) in the first innings of the first test in the ongoing Test series was the pick of the experts.
Middle order: Steve Smith, Babar Azam, Ben Stokes, Musfiqur Rahim
Steve Smith is simply the best red-ball batsman in world cricket at the moment and there is no World XI without him for anyone.
In 13 Tests in Asia, Smith has scored 1,200 runs at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 47.22 including four centuries and five half-centuries. Smith was the highest run-scorer (499 runs at an average of 71.28 including three centuries) when Australia last played a Test series in India in 2017.
Though Babar Azam never played a test in India, but experts were keep on including him in the XI for his all round play especially in the Asian conditions.
Ben Stokes, Arguably one of the best all-rounders in the world at the moment. It's a luxury to have a player like him in your team and looking at his current form, he might turn the game into your favour from nowhere.
The keeper batsman Rahim has good understanding of the conditions and the wickets on offer, he also has a couple of centuries, the last of which came in Hyderabad in 2017 while facing the likes of Ishant Sharma and Ravi Ashwin. Apart from the tons, Mushfiqur has scores of 44, 30, 10*, 23 and 2. As a keeper, he is skilled as well, especially against the spinners.
Bowlers: Shakib Al Hasan, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Trent Boult
The Bangladesh all-rounder is arguably the most important part of the side's line-up. In the only Test he has played against India in India, he scored an 82 to revive the Bangladesh innings alongside wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim after the side suffered early blows in the first innings. With ball in hand he can be as effective as many Asian spinners.
Pat Cummins The ICC No.1 ranked bowler in Test Ranking is a force to reckon with in red-ball cricket. Cummins might not have a good track record on Indian pitches but he has improved a lot in past few years and that's what makes him set apart from others.
Australia spinner Nathan Lyon has the highest wickets for a non-Asian spinner in Asia in the last one decade. In 19 Tests, the 31-year old cricketer has picked 95 wickets at an average of 31.24, an economy rate of 3.17 and a strike rate of 58.9.
When it comes to non-Asian fast bowlers, New Zealand’s Trent Boult has an impressive record in Asia. The left-arm pacer has picked 50 wickets in 17 Tests at an average of 31.70, an economy rate of 2.83 and a strike rate of 67.
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