In the era of T20 Internationals (T20Is), Test cricket is in danger, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) will have to come up with a plan to keep cricket’s oldest format alive. However, many cricket supporters still feel the Test format is real cricket and they still invest their time in watching five-day games. The Ashes, Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Pataudi Trophy, and Anthony de Mello Trophy witness a large number of viewers.
The ICC also launched the World Test Championship (WTC) competition after the 2019 World Cup to make Test cricket more popular among sports lovers. In the upcoming years, it will be interesting to see the outcome of ICC’s endeavours to save red-ball cricket. With Tests losing relevance among today’s cricket fans, it’s crucial to tell them the glorifying tales of heroes who performed extraordinarily during their playing days and became the legends of this great sport.
Today’s generation remembers players such as Steven Smith, Joe Root, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Nathan Lyon as heroes who are keeping Test cricket alive in the 21st century with their performances. However, it’s time to introduce today’s cricket supporters to legends who made Test cricket popular with their magnificent careers. Discussing more, here is the all-time great XI of the Test format.
Here is the best XI of Test cricket
1. Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar served India from 1971 to 1987, and during this period, he played 125 Tests and scored 10,122 runs with 34 tons and 45 fifties in 214 innings. In March 1987, he became the first batter to score more than 10,000 runs in Tests. He achieved this feat against Pakistan in Ahmedabad.
In April 1971, he became the second Indian to hit three consecutive tons in red-ball cricket. After 1971, he smashed three back-to-back centuries in 1978 again. In December 1983, he also became the first batter to score 30 centuries in cricket’s longest format. The legend bid adieu to Test cricket in March 1987 after showing up in the 1987 Test match against Pakistan in Bengaluru.
2. Jack Hobbs
Late Jack Hobbs is considered one of the most eminent players to serve the England cricket team in Tests. In his 22-year international career, he scored 5410 runs in 102 innings of 61 Tests. He also became the fastest batter to score 5000 runs in just 91 innings. The English player achieved this record against Australia in 1929 in Melbourne. His sensational record was bettered by Australia’s Don Bradman in 1938.
In the Ashes rivalry between England and Australia, he is still the second-most successful batter with 3636 runs in 71 innings of 41 matches. Hobbs retired from cricket in 1930 after playing the Ashes held in his country England.
3. Don Bradman
Late Don Bradman played a vital role in making Australia a formidable side in Tests. He kicked off his international career in 1928 against England in Brisbane. In his 20-year career, he troubled the English side a lot with his bat. Playing 37 Tests against the arch-rivals, he amassed 5028 runs in 63 innings.
In the Ashes played between 1928 to 1948, he became the leading run-scorer in four editions. The batting maestro retired from cricket in 1948, scoring 6996 Test runs in 80 innings of 52 matches. His average was 99.94 which is the best in Test format to date.
4. Viv Richards (Captain)
Viv Richards was known for his intrepid batting style in the 1970s and 1980s. The West Indies team tasted a lot of success in Tests under Clive Lloyd’s captaincy from 1974 to 1985. In Lloyd’s captaincy success, Richards made a vital contribution with his bat. The brawny batter served the team in different batting slots and justified his role with his exceptional performances.
From 1984 to 1991, he also captained the Caribbean side and under his leadership, the Windies team never lost a Test series. In August 1991, Richards retired as the highest run-getter for the West Indies in red-ball cricket, with 8540 runs in 182 innings of 121 Tests.
5. Sachin Tendulkar
Every cricket fan is accustomed to Sachin Tendulkar’s spectacular contribution to making cricket popular around the globe. The Mumbai-born player made his Test debut at the age of 16 against Pakistan in November 1989. He did a phenomenal job in India whites for 24 years from 1989 to 2013 and ended up as the most-successful Test batter in the world.
During the 1990s and 2000s, cricket supporters compared the Master Blaster with the West Indies batting phenomenon Brian Lara, who was doing an extraordinary job for his team in Tests. The statistics prove that Sachin is superior to his West Indies counterpart as the former smashed 15921 runs in 329 innings of 200 matches and concluded his career as the best batter in the format.
6. Garry Sobers
Garry Sobers delivered his services to the West Indies cricket team from 1954 to 1974. In those 20 years, he took the Windies team to great heights with his all-round excellence. With the bat, he scored 8032 runs in 160 innings while as a bowler, he took 235 wickets in 159 innings of 93 matches.
Sobers is considered the greatest West Indies all-rounder of all time in Tests. In 1958, he became the first West Indies batter to notch up a triple ton with his unbeaten 365-run knock against Pakistan at Sabina Park, Kingston.
7. Adam Gilchrist (WK)
Adam Gilchrist isn’t counted among the leading run-scorers in Tests but he will always be considered one of the best stumper-batter in cricket’s longest form. The flamboyant left-hander played 96 Tests for the Aussie side from 1999 to 2008 and scored 5570 runs in 137 innings.
In the Perth Test of the 2006-07 Ashes, he smashed his hundred in just 57 deliveries and became the Australian to score the fastest century in the longest form of the sport. Besides batting, his duty was to serve the team as a wicketkeeper and he did that job superbly. Behind the stumps, he hunted 379 batters in 191 innings.
8. Shane Warne
Late Shane Warne was known for making batters dance to his tunes with his leg-break bowling. Riding on his exceptional talent, the Aussie side won numerous Test matches. In 2004, when Australia won their first Test series on Indian soil after 35 years, it was due to Warne and Glenn McGrath’s disciplined bowling. The leggie chipped in with 14 wickets in five innings of three Tests in the Aussie side’s notable victory.
Warne was also known for troubling England batters in the Ashes and his remarkable bowling numbers also prove it. With 195 wickets in 72 innings of 36 Tests, he is the highest wicket-taker in the distinguished series. In 2007, he brought down the curtains on his international career after playing the 2006-07 Ashes Test against England in Sydney. The legendary player retired as the highest wicket-taker with 708 wickets in 273 innings of 145 Tests. After 16 years of his retirement, he is still in the second spot on the leading Test wicket-taker chart.
9. James Anderson
James Anderson, who made his Test debut for England in 2003, is still active in international cricket. The pacer’s fitness is unprecedented which makes him a wicket-taking bowler in England whites despite crossing the 40-year mark. On English soil, he has showcased his magic with the ball numerous times but back in 2010, he guided England to the Ashes title in Australia.
Grabbing 24 wickets in 10 innings of five matches, he played an enormous role in the English team’s Ashes victory in Australia after 24 years. Anderson has added 690 wickets to his profile in 341 innings of 183 Tests. He might end his career as the second-leading wicket-taker as he is only 19 hunts away to shatter Warne’s record of 708 Test wickets.
10. Curtly Ambrose
Curtly Ambrose was known for wreaking havoc on batters during his playing days. The right-arm bowler played 98 Tests for the West Indies in his 12-year international career but one game of his is memorable for all cricket supporters. Back in 1993, he took advantage of Perth’s rapid track and guided his team to an innings and 25-run win with his 7/25 figures in the first innings.
In his extraordinary spell, he got rid of quality batters David Boon, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, and Allan Border. The Caribbean paceman called time on his prestigious international career in September 2000. He added 405 wickets to his Test profile in 179 innings of 98 Test appearances.
11. Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne started their international career in 1992, and both became sensations in the cricketing world due to their extraordinary spin bowling. Unlike Warne, Muralitharan was known for trapping batters with his off-spin bowling. Back in 1998, he recorded his best bowling figures (16/220 against England) in Tests.
In Sri Lanka’s convincing 10-wicket victory, the spin wizard came heavily on the English side. Bagging 7/155 and 9/65 in the first and second innings respectively, he became the recipient of the Player of the Match award. The star bowler said goodbye to Test cricket in 2010 after playing his last Test against India in Galle. In his last Test appearance, he completed 800 wickets and became the first Test bowler to pull off the feat. He became the owner of this extraordinary record after 133 Tests.