Combined best XI of India vs England Test series

The World Test Championship final will witness the two epic teams fighting out for the glory. The venue will be the iconic Lord’s and team India and New Zealand will face each other. This enables Virat Kohli to feature in the final of an ICC tournament. And the teams had to wait till the final Test match of the recently concluded India versus England series to know the other finalist of WTC.

The controversy was omnipresent during the latter half of the series. This was mainly because the Ahmedabad pitch was a rank turner. But, many former cricketers had stated that India had dominated the English batsmen. Even after a victory in the first Test, the Englishmen failed to cash in to pressurize the Indian players. 

For those who were questioning the Chennai pitch, Ravi Ashwin firmly answered them after scoring a fabulous century. During his first series, Axar Patel was unplayable and became the most lethal bowler in the series. Adding on, the fans witnessed the rise of Washington Sundar as a perfect replacement of Ravindra Jadeja. 

Combined best XI of India vs England Test series

1. Rohit Sharma

Just before India toured Australia, Rohit Sharma was seen as a limited overs specialist. He was well known as a batsman who threw his wicket away after settling down. But, as they say, Test cricket brings out the best of a player, and it made Rohit a cautious player. For a batsman who has been taking giant strides in the limited-overs format, his efforts in this series have been commendable. 

As per his captain, Rohit’s century in the second Test was the turning point of the series. He stood up to the occasion and when everyone claimed that the Chennai pitch was a rank turner, Rohit’s 161 runs was an answer that there was a technical issue amongst the English batsmen. Even after that innings, he played flawlessly at Ahmedabad. 

During his knock of 161, he played the sweep shot to perfection. He scored 27 runs off the sweep shot and he smashed 18 fours and 2 sixes in the innings. A control of 85% on a pitch that was declared as a minefield is nothing short of spectacular. Because of his amazing control and composure, he is our opener on this list. 

2. Shubman Gill

Multiple viewers will disagree on this selection. But, if we have a look at the performances of all the openers, Gill is the best partner for Rohit. When this young prodigy was included in the Indian squad during the Australian tour, he impressed everyone with his solid technique. And, it looked like team India had found its permanent opener. 

But, his recent failures have raised a few questions. During the recently concluded series, Gill has scored only a single half-century. What is more disappointing is the fact that he had two ducks under his belt in the series. Maybe, the pressure of expectations had got the better of him this time.

As per Sunil Gavaskar, it is just a bad patch that every player goes through. With few technical issues, he was unable to handle the pressure implanted from the likes of Jimmy Anderson and his fellow bowlers. It is clear that if Gill fixes all those issues, he will regain his form and he is a vital member of the team as India looks ahead to clinch the WTC trophy. 

3. Joe Root

Everybody witnessed the greatness of Joe Root when he scored a magnificent double century in the first Test at Chennai. During that innings, he dominated every Indian bowler and he swept to perfection. With more than 80 runs scored on the leg side during that innings, he was in complete control. 

Talking about control, Root had a controlled rate of 91%. Adding on, his most valuable shot was the flick, which he used regularly throughout his innings. A boundary tally of 19 fours and a couple of sixes are enough to justify that he can easily make it to this squad. Also, Pujara’s lack of fortune has enabled Root to become a better number three batsman in this list. 

Another main reason why Root is on this list is his ability to bowl some off-spinners. During the third test, Root picked up five wickets in an inning. For a part-time bowler, this feat is extraordinary. Apart from that, he was the best batsman from the English team on this tour. 

4. Ben Stokes

Probably one of the finest all-rounders in the game, Ben Stokes had a decent tour to India this time. The all-rounder was effective with both bat and ball. Whenever Jimmy Anderson or Leach were tired, Stokes took charge and picked up a few crucial wickets for his team. Adding on, he was the stand-in captain whenever Root was not present on the field. 

Stokes was much more effective with the bat. In four matches, he scored 203 runs. This might mislead you, but the pitches were difficult to bat on. Stokes scored multiple half-centuries in this tour and he was the only batsman who was able to occupy the crease for long periods apart from Root. This makes him one of the most effective cricketers from the English side. 

Talking about his boundary count, Stokes has scored 22 fours and five sixes in four Test matches. And in the run tally, he stands fifth on the list. In a tour where every visiting batsman failed, Stokes’ performance has been exceptional. Because of his temperament, he is the perfect candidate for the number four position. 

5. Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant was in red hot form during the recently concluded India versus England series. While he was in Australia, Pant was heavily criticized because of his wicket-keeping issues. Although a couple of match-winning innings did ensure that he became India’s Test keeper, Pant had a lot to prove during the series. And, he delivered.

If we talk about his batting performances, Pant has scored 270 runs with an impressive strike rate of 84.11. This tally includes his brilliant 91 off 88 balls during the first Test match at Chennai. Adding on, he was at his best in this series, as he smashed 10 sixes. With a controlled rate of 92%, Pant was one of the most successful batsmen in this series. 

Next, if we talk about his wicket-keeping skills, it has improved drastically. The main issue with Pant’s keeping was that he was unable to keep his hands together, which resulted in dropped catches and stumpings. However, he worked on those issues and was of excellent support to the bowlers behind the wickets. He has cemented his place in the Test squad for sure. 

6. Ben Foakes

As per the English captain, Ben Foakes is arguably the best wicketkeeper in the world at the moment. In a tour where the Englishmen were beaten comprehensively, Foakes was one of the few positive aspects. After a tough tour, the English captain praised the wicket-keeper batsman who displayed sensational glovework behind the stumps. 

Just ahead of the series, multiple former cricketers had stated that it would be a bit difficult for the touring wicketkeeper to keep their tempo up in these tough conditions. However, Foakes was on a whole new level, he kept beautifully and made difficult things look very easy for the viewers. This tour was a good one for both the keepers from India and England. 

Foakes was one of the few batsmen who were looking positive against spin bowling. He was able to occupy the crease for some time, but he lacked partners from the other end. Because of his excellent efforts, England was able to grab quick wickets. And his efforts have built up a healthy competition amongst the wicket keepers in the English squad. 

7. Ravichandran Ashwin

It is no doubt that Ravi Ashwin makes it to this list. The man of the series was in top form and proved to be better than the English batsmen on multiple occasions. Since the first Test match, Ravi Ashwin made his mark. And it was the second Test that everyone witnessed the best of Ashwin.

Ashwin was in such a form that he scored more than Indian Captain Virat Kohli. Ashwin scored 189 runs with 24 fours and a couple of sixes in the series. Adding on, he took multiple five-wicket hauls, and along with Axar Patel, he troubled the English batsmen. A wicket tally of over 400 is sufficient enough to prove that he is a modern-day giant. 

It was Ashwin who took charge during the second Test match in Chennai. With 106 runs during the second Test, he scored with a control of 74%. Adding on, his control was 74%, which is priceless for a bowling all-rounder. During the second match, he took five wickets and joined the elite list of cricketers who have taken five wickets and scored a century in the same match. 

8. Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar’s rise in Test cricket is nothing short of a fairy tale. The off-spinner made it to the Indian squad after Jadeja was ruled out of the Australian tour. But, Sundar filled the void of Jadeja to perfection. He has contributed both with the bat and the ball consistently. 

When Sundar scored a magnificent 85, he complimented Rishabh Pant effectively. Although his efforts were not enough, he cemented his place in the squad. Adding on, he contributed effectively as the third spinner and complemented Ashwin and Axar. Even after Jadeja makes a comeback into the squad, Sundar is certain to remain in the squad.

During the final Test match, Sundar scored a magnificent 96. However, he was short of partners and was left stranded on one end. Even though he failed to make a century, it was his efforts that grabbed the attention of fans. Sundar’s efforts are a surety that he can contribute whenever the team needs him. 

9. Axar Patel

Axar Patel has revived his career through his exceptional performances during this series. He was lethal during every game and the Englishmen had no answers to him. Axar scored 55 runs throughout the series, but it was his bowling that made the headlines. He makes it to the list as another player who can replace Jadeja in case of any injuries. 

Axar was the go-to man for Virat Kohli whenever he needed wickets. Of the three matches he played, he picked up 27 wickets with an economy rate of 2.24. An average of 10.59 was enough to showcase his effectiveness in the series. Apart from his beautiful bowling, he had the best bowling figure of 6/38. 

Axar’s efforts helped India to thrash England comfortably in the series. His bowling action suited the pitches and he can be a valuable member of the team in the future. Axar’s batting abilities can be used to handle a batting collapse. And the presence of Axar in the playing eleven makes it more balanced. 

10. James Anderson

Jimmy Anderson is the only English bowler on this list. Well, it has been a sad story for the Englishmen this series as they were comfortably outplayed in every sector. Talk about batting, only two of them were able to compete with the Indians. In the wicket-keeping sector, Foakes did a good job. However, in the bowling department, Anderson makes it to this list.

During the recently concluded series, Anderson became the third pacer to pick up 900 wickets. And, he was able to deliver a match-changing spell in the first Test. Jimmy’s efforts were strong enough to turn the tides in favor of England. It started when he clean bowled Gill during the second innings. 

However, it was Pant’s reverse sweep that made Jimmy’s tour memorable. He reverse swept Anderson, who was bowling with the new ball. As a result, the ball rushed to the boundary. But, it was Anderson who was able to put the Indian batsmen under pressure. 

11. Mohammed Siraj

The second pacer in this squad has to be a bowler who can pick wickets during regular intervals. And Mohammed Siraj can pick up those important breakthroughs. Siraj has been Kohli’s go-to man whenever the spinners were exhausted. But, for the Englishmen, he was another headache. 

Siraj took the responsibility after Jasprit Bumrah was unavailable because of private reasons. His plan to set up Root’s wicket has attracted praise from Sanjay Manjrekar. Adding on, he showed his batting skills as he complemented Ashwin during the second Test in Chennai. He has been the perfect partner to Bumrah since the Australian tour.

With swinging conditions in England, Siraj can complement the likes of Bumrah and Ishant during the WTC final at Lord’s. Siraj can swing the ball both ways and he is an asset to this team. Although he failed to help Sundar to get to a century, he is a perfect bowler. He is the fast bowler who will complement Anderson in this squad.