The Best Test-match U-25 XI

With CricTracker announcing the best U-25 ODI XI a few days back, the Test-match XI is something many certainly have been looking forward to. The Test-match XI sees players from different countries who most certainly have the potential to make an impact when it comes to playing Test cricket for the 5-10 years at the very least. It features the most promising names from India, Bangladesh, England and even South Africa. That said, here is the best XI for Test matches featuring some of the names that will resonate in the many years to come. KL Rahul: KL Rahul. (Photo Source: AFP) 24-year old Lokesh Rahul has already underlined his credentials as a top batsman for India with four centuries to his name. The funny part of it all is the simple fact that all of these tons have been scored overseas. However, the fact of the matter is that Rahul does not require the numbers to justify his place in India’s Test team. The Karnataka batsman’s fantastic batting acumen, patience, as well as his impressive calmness under pressure is something that sets him apart from rest of the batsmen in this generation. Rahul’s RCB teammate Chris Gayle has also gone on to compare the Indian opener to incumbent Indian skipper Virat Kohli. Moreover, Rahul’s wicket-keeping skills are also an added bonus but that is something he needs to work a bit on. Till then he is definitely one name to keep an eye on. Also read – Chris Gayle reckons a big future ahead of KL Rahul Quinton de Kock (wk): Quinton de Kock. (Photo Source: Cricket South Africa) The 23-year old South African batsman is well and truly on his way to becoming a pro for South Africa. Having already played 10 Test matches, Quinton de Kock has shown astounding maturity when it comes to opening the batting and being a ‘passive aggressive’ batsman. In the 10 matches Quinton has featured in, he already boasts of 572 runs at a supremely healthy average of 47. While he most certainly has a long way to go in terms of being a complete batsman as well as a keeper, the star signs are well and truly present. That said, the elegant southpaw is perhaps the best wicket-keeping batsman of his generation at the moment. Whether he goes on to scale the heights of Mark Boucher and others remains to be seen. Soumya Sarkar: Bangladesh cricketer Soumya Sarkar plays a shot. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images) The 23-year old Bangladeshi batsman may have played just the three Test matches for Bangladesh. However, when it comes to batting out of his skin and underlining his potential, Sarkar is more than a player one can bank upon. At the moment, Sarkar is one of Bangladesh’s most consistent batsmen in ODIs with 692 runs to his name and at a staggering average that almost touches 50. This also includes a wonderfully compiled 127 against Pakistan in Dhaka in 2015. That said, one can only go on to assume that Sarkar most certainly does have the temperament as well as the skill set to match up with the best in the world. However, whether he actually achieves his potential remains to be seen. Joe Root: Joe Root of England raises his bat and celebrates scoring a half century. (Photo by Mitchell Gunn/Getty Images) At the tender age of 25, Joe Root seems to be well ahead of the rest of the batsmen in his league. Tipped to be the skipper of England soon, Root has a number of accolades as well as testimonials to his name. Having played 46 Test matches, Joe Root already has crossed the 4000-run mark, something that has put him on track to become England’s only second batsman to complete 10,000 Test match runs. His batting average is astronomical at 54. While many expect Root to become the skipper soon and take over from Eoin Morgan and Alastair Cook, it is also certain that he would have gone on to achieve almost everything by the time he calls time on his career. Also read – Joe Root is the best batsman in all 3 formats: Mohammad Yousuf Kusal Mendis: Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis raises his bat and helmet in celebration after scoring a century. (Photo by LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images) Graham Ford, the coach of the Sri Lankan team at the moment said that Kusal Mendis is perhaps the only batsman in the Sri Lankan side with some sort of a technique. Coming from a man who produced players from English county, I think it is best to take his word for it. Standing a few inches over 5 feet, Kusal Mendis is anything but a figure of authority. However, in the 9 Test matches he has featured in, Mendis looks well older than the 21 years that he actually is. His last few innings have seen him amass three half-centuries and a ton. Ideally, he would be the best replacement for Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara in the current scheme of things. Corey Anderson: Corey Anderson of New Zealand. (Photo by MARTY MELVILLE/AFP/Getty Images) In spite of not being a regular in the New Zealand squad on recent tours, Corey Anderson is one of the few of the dying breed of all-rounders. While he stands tall and tough, Anderson is perhaps one of the most important pieces of the Kiwi side. The southpaw has the ability to switch gears at will while batting as well as get the ball to swing. Given his young age, one can only assume that he will get better and become a torment for opposition players. However, the problem lies with his fitness and injuries, something that has plagued him in recent times. Moreover, the presence of players like Jimmy Neesham and Doug Bracewell make it all the more difficult for the 25-year old to find a place in the side. Mitchell Marsh: Mitchell Marsh. (Photo Source: Cricket.com.au Twitter Handle) The 24-year old was one of the bright spots in terms of batting in the recently concluded tour of Sri Lanka. While most of the other batsmen proved to be nothing but fodder, Marsh was perhaps the only one willing to face the spinners head-on and smash a few blows into the stands. However, as pointed out by many, the one thing holding Marsh back is his temperament. While he does have the caliber to play the patient game, he usually succumbed to rash decisions and rushes of blood, something that has turned against him in recent times. Although in 18 Tests his numbers speak very little for his skills, he has almost 10-15 years ahead of him as far as his career is concerned. Roston Chase: West Indies batsmen Jason Holder (L) and Roston Chase congratulate one another at the end of their match. (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images) Before the second Test match against India at Kingston, Roston Chase was a relatively unknown commodity. Of course, he had shown some sort of steel at Antigua but was never considered a threat before his blitz in Kingston. Needless to say, Chase became a West Indian hero as he claimed 5 Indian wickets as well. Although he could not stop Virat’s juggernaut from claiming a 2-0 win, the off-spinner has well and truly cemented his place in the side. With the West Indies expected to play a few more Tests in the Caribbean against a few quality teams, it is only concrete evidence that Chase will be a massive part of the side. Jason Holder: Jason holder. (©Getty Images) The West Indies skipper has bestowed the captaincy in an extremely early stage in his career. Clive Lloyd, the man who gave him the job, compared Holder to former Australian skipper Kim Hughes who was the similar age when he took over the captaincy. Needless to say, Holder has shown tremendous maturity when it comes to being a leader of a side that is going through a lot of turmoil at the moment. However, Holder’s only drawback is his pace. Standing at 6 feet and 7 inches, one expects the 24-year old to hurl bouncers at will. However, bowling at barely 70 mph hardly qualifies for someone as tall and talented as him. Mohammad Amir: Pakistan’s bowler Mohammad Amir celebrates dismissing England’s Alex Hales. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images) At 18 years of age, many would have written off Mohammad Amir when the news of his involvement in the infamous 2010 spot-fixing affair was made public. However, 6 years after that infamous incident, Amir made a comeback to the side with a bang. His impressive and accurate bowling in the Test matches against England had many scratching their heads as to whether Amir had indeed really been out for that long. With the spot-fixing and most of the media attention out of the way, the stage is well and truly set for Amir to make a much-anticipated impact and erase everything off an embark upon a journey to greatness. Also read – Mohammad Amir reveals ‘special care’ to reduce no-balls Kagiso Rabada: South African bowler Kagiso Rabada (top) (Photo by GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/Getty Images) The 21-year old is one of the few pacers in the world who can clock speeds in excess of 90 mph. However, more than his speed, many have stated that the aggression of the lad is impressive, tipping him to become as good or perhaps even better than Dale Steyn. Unlike some of the names mentioned previously, Rabada has the numbers in international Test matches to back-up his talent. In just 8 matches, he has 29 wickets to his name, something certainly unprecedented. However, the 21-year old faces a problem that many pacers over the years have faced. Niggles, as well as injuries, affect the best of the lot and it is sure to catch-up with someone bowling as fiercely as he is. Lakshan Sandakan: Sri Lanka’s Lakshan Sandakan celebrates after dismissing Australia’s Nathan Lyon. (Photo by LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images) The 25-year old Sri Lankan has reintroduced cricket to perhaps one of its oldest tricks. Being a chinaman bowler, it is clear that he will leak runs from time to time, but his accuracy has been something phenomenal. Although it is early in his career, Sandakan boasts of 9 wickets already amassed in 3 matches that he has played, all against the Australians in the famous 3-0 whitewash. While many Sri Lankans await the successor for 38-year old Rangana Herath, many also wait in anticipation that Sandakan will blossom into a fine star for the future of Sri Lankan cricket. Also read – Clash of titans: Virat Kohli vs AB de Villiers

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The Best Test-match U-25 XI

Mohammad Amir:

Also read – Mohammad Amir reveals ‘special care’ to reduce no-balls

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