Best World XI that can beat India at home in Tests

Steve Smith and Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: Twitter)

India’s performance in Tests has been above-par in the last few years. During Virat Kohli’s reign, the team had put up courageous performances in Australia and England as well. Against the Baggy Greens, India won back-to-back away series, while in England, India succeeded in levelling the series with a 2-2 margin in 2021-22.

In home conditions, the Indian team has been practically unbeatable as they have all the Test series held in India since 2013. With players such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin adorning the line-up, India’s juggernaut has crushed quality sides such as Australia, England, South Africa, and New Zealand with ease. However, in the last ten years, Australia and England have managed to win Test matches in India against the hosts and have shown that beating India at home can be within the bounds with some quality players.

Talking more about it, we present to you eleven players who, if clubbed to form a team, can put up a tough challenge against India, at home.

Here is the best World XI that can defeat India at home in Tests:

1. Babar Azam

Babar Azam is the most impactful player in the Pakistan team due to his incredible game style. Back in 2016, PCB selectors after recognising his talent gave him a chance to play international cricket. In the same year, he also made his debut in Test cricket and racked up 90 runs in a losing cause against New Zealand in Hamilton.

Currently, he is a prominent name in Test cricket due to his exceptional batting talent. So far, he has scored 3,696 runs with nine centuries and 26 fifties in 85 innings of 47 matches. In the 2019-20 Pakistan tour of Australia, he showcased his batting skills smashing 210 runs with a hundred and a half-century in four innings of two matches.

In 2022, he had the best year with bat in Tests accumulating 1,184 runs with four tons and seven half-centuries in 17 innings of nine matches. Against Australia in Karachi, he notched his career best score of 196 runs to save the Test.

2. Jonny Bairstow

Jonny Bairstow is an important member of the England Test team. He reinforces the team’s batting in the middle order with his superb batting technique. The talented right-hander has played a lot of match-winning knocks for England in his 10 years of Test career. His record is fabulous against quality teams such as India, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Bairstow has featured in the English Test squad in 89 games and has amassed 5,482 runs in 159 innings. The veteran has also scored 12 tons, of which four have come against the quality sides of Australia (2), New Zealand (1), and South Africa (1) on their soil.

In 2022, he became one of the key players behind the success of England’s revolutionary ‘Bazball’ playing style. In the 10 Tests he played last year, the 33-year-old looked solid with a total aggregation of 1,061 runs including six hundreds and a half-century. Against India in the fifth Test of the Pataudi Trophy 2021-22, he hit centuries in both innings and joined an elite list of batters to have done so.

3. Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson‘s batting style makes him ideal for Tests. Recently, he relinquished white-ball cricket captaincy and looked better with his bat, in the whites. During the 2022-23 New Zealand tour of Pakistan, he also scored a double-century in the first Test, which was the fifth double-hundred of his Test career.

Talking about his overall record, the 32-year-old has piled up 7,787 runs with 26 centuries and 33 half-centuries in 161 innings of 92 games. With these batting numbers, he has created strong grounds for him to be counted among current legendary batters.

Back in 2010, he made his international debut against India in a Test match at Ahmedabad and scored a ton on his debut. However, the only Test century he ever scored against India after that knock was in 2014 when he scored 113 runs in Auckland. His overall batting figures in India, however, are quite good as he has added 503 runs to his profile with a hundred and three half-centuries in 15 innings of eight matches.

4. Steve Smith

Steve Smith is considered to be one of the best batters in the Test format, justified by his excellent quality of services provided to the Australian team for years. He is active in Test cricket since 2010 and has played 94 games for Australia so far. In his 13 years of Test career, he has notched up 8,718 runs with 30 centuries and 37 fifties in 166 innings.

In 2022, the veteran hoarded 876 runs in 18 innings of 11 Tests at a mind-boggling average of 58.40. In the same year, he also added a couple of tons and five half-centuries to his illustrated profile. During Australia’s tour of Pakistan, the Aussie batter exuded confidence using his immense experience and became the second-leading run-scorer for his team with 226 runs in four innings of three matches.

After the Pakistan series, the 33-year-old also ended up becoming the leading run-getter for his team in Sri Lanka. On Indian surfaces, Smith showcased his batting talent during Australia’s tour of India in 2017, scoring two centuries in Pune and Ranchi, respectively.

5. Joe Root

The England top order batter Joe Root has proven his mettle with his amazing batting capability. In 237 innings of 129 Tests, he has amassed 10,948 runs with 29 centuries and 57 fifties. Since 2021, he has been in brilliant form and has scored 12 hundreds and eight half-centuries in 32 games.

In 2022, he adopted an aggressive approach in red-ball cricket. Following England’s ‘Bazball’ style, the veteran smashed 1098 runs with five centuries and two fifties in 27 innings of 15 Tests. Featuring in the three-match Test series against New Zealand at home, he dominated the bowlers hitting 396 runs with a couple of tons and a half-century at a sensational average of 99.00.

Coming to his best performance in India, he delivered it back in 2021 when he amassed 218 runs in his team’s comprehensive triumph of 227 runs in the first Test at Chennai. So far, he has played 10 Tests in India and has scored 952 runs with two centuries and five fifties.

6. Harry Brook

Harry Brook kicked off his international Test career in style. The youngster became a notable figure in the cricketing world after delivering a magnificent performance in the three-match Test series against Babar Azam-led Pakistan. Hoarding 468 runs with three centuries and a fifty in five innings, Brooks became the leading run-scorer in the competition.

Playing on the turning wickets of Pakistan for the first time, the 24-year-old didn’t look nervous against the likes of Abrar Ahmed, Nauman Ali, and Zahid Mahmood and played them with confidence to put up a remarkable show in sub-continent conditions.

After showing his strength in Pakistan, Brook again grabbed attention with his scintillating batting performance in New Zealand. Scoring 329 runs against the Kiwis in four innings of two Tests, he registered himself as the most-successful batter for England in two consecutive Test series.

7. Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes is regarded as one of the best all-rounders in Test cricket. He began his Test career for England against Australia in The Ashes played in 2013. With his superb all-round display for the team, he became a reliable player in the English squad. In 2016, he became the talk of the town after notching up his best batting score of 254 against South Africa in the Cape Town Test.

Till now, the veteran has hit 5,712 runs with 12 centuries and 28 fifties in 166 innings of 91 Tests. With the ball, he has picked up 194 wickets in 142 innings, his best figure being 6/22 against the West Indies in September 2017 at the iconic Lord’s. In the 2019 Ashes, he delivered a memorable knock of 135 against Australia in Leeds. With his phenomenal innings, he took England home in a thriller.

Witnessing his capability and numbers, England appointed him their Test skipper following Joe Root’s resignation from the post. Eversince, he has been doing wonders as England’s captain, having won series against big teams. However, his leadership skills will be put under the microscope when England will lock horns with Australia and India, going ahead this year. In his illustrious cricketing career, Stokes has toured India twice and has racked up 548 runs in nine Tests. He also has 13 wickets to his name, from the two tours.

8. Pat Cummins

Since making his debut in 2011 against South Africa, Pat Cummins has claimed 217 wickets in 90 innings of 47 Tests. On his debut Test match, Cummins outclassed the Proteas with his fearless pace bowling to announce his arrival at the global scene. Hunting six wickets in the second innings of the contest, he played a major role in his team’s victory. Throughout his career, Cummins carried his consummate form to leave a mark everytime he took the field. He was particularly able to grab eyeballs in 2019 when he registered his best bowling figures of 6/23 against Sri Lanka.

After a successful career of ten years, in November 2021, Pat Cummins was awarded the captaincy of Australia’s Test team. Carrying the mantle of leadership, Cummins led his side to a colossal triumph against England in The Ashes 2021-22. In the distinguished tournament, the veteran also became the leading wicket-taker with 21 wickets in eight innings of four Tests.

Considering his mind-boggling record as a bowler and captain, Cummins was looked at with a belief of replicating a similar performance against India in the Border-Gavaskar trophy. With only three wickets in two Tests, he failed to deliver as per expectations. However, in the previous edition of the tournament held in India, Cummins showed his excellence with the ball grabbing his best bowling figures in India (4/106) at Ranchi.

9. Nathan Lyon

Nathan Lyon is known for his ability to trap batters with his tricky offbreak bowling. Even on the rapid tracks of Australia, he hunts batters with ease using bounce. In his 12 years of international test career, Lyon has provided his services to his national team in 117 Tests.

So far, he has clinched 468 wickets in 220 innings, notching up his career-best figures of 8/50 against India in the Bangalore Test in 2017. The 35-year-old’s record against India is remarkable as he has bagged 102 wickets in 44 innings of 14 Tests. Lyon has 8 fifers against India and also became the first Australian to claim 100 wickets against India, earning the feat in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar trophy.

In the 2016-17 edition of the same tournamnet, Lyon became a household name in India, after he wreaked havoc on the Indian batters to finish as the joint-highest wicket-taker for his team, along with Steve O’Keefe. With 19 scalps in seven innings of four matches, he helped Australia put up a stiff fight against the hosts.

10. Prabath Jayasuriya

With just three Test caps to his name, Prabath Jayasuriya has already become a household name in Sri Lanka. In 2022, he got included in Sri Lanka’s playing XI in the second and final Test against Australia after Praveen Jayawickrama was diagnosed positive for.

Playing his debut Test match, Jayasuriya impressed everyone with his impeccable bowling skills. Taking advantage of the spinning wicket at Galle, Jayasuriya came hard on the opponents. The left-arm bowler trapped 12 Aussie batters in the game, picking 6/118 in the first innings and 6/59 in the second.

After the Australia series, he played two more games for Sri Lanka against Pakistan. This time too, he grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Claiming 17 wickets in four innings of two matches, he emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the series. With these performances, the 31-year-old proved that he could be one of the most dangerous bowlers to face on sub-continent tracks.

11. Abrar Ahmed

Abrar Ahmed has done exceptionally well for Pakistan in the matches he got to play. Making his international debut against England at Multan, Abrar surprised the visitors using the homely, spin-friendly conditions. Playing apivotal role for the home team, Ahmed picked up figures of 7/114 and 4/120 to grab international attention.

With 17 wickets from two games, he became the highest wicket-taker right in his debut series. Following his stunning bowling performance in the England series, the team management supported him and selected him for the Test series against New Zealand at home.

The youngster took 11 wickets in two matches of the series against the Kiwis, registering himself as the most successful bowler for Pakistan in two consecutive series. So far, playing only four Tests for Pakistan, he has left an incredible impact fetching 28 wickets in eight innings with a couple of five-wicket hauls.