Greg Chappell names his most exciting Test XI

Former Australian captain Greg Chappell has named his most exciting playing eleven in Test cricket. Going by the list, it mostly consists of players, who used to entertain the crowd with their fearless brand of cricket. Chappell’s illustrious eleven didn’t have a lot of greats, including Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, Steve Waugh, and many others from across the world.

Chappell picked Virender Sehwag and Colin Milburn as his opening batters. Sehwag was known for his swashbuckling style of play and scored two triple centuries against Pakistan and South Africa. Millburn’s Test career lasted for nine matches where he scored two centuries and as many half-centuries. The legendary Sir Vivian Richards and Graeme Pollock featured in the middle-order.

Greg Chappell picks Kohli

Chappell put forth his eleven in his column for the Sydney Morning Herald. Among current players, the veteran only picked Indian captain Virat Kohli, who has a Test average of 53.41 with a top score of an unbeaten 254. Kohli made his Test debut around a decade ago and he has only grown in stature. He last played in the Day-Night Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval.

Sir Garfield Sobers from the West Indies followed the 32-year-old Virat. Sobers was a legendary figure of his generation as in 93 Tests, he scored 8032 runs with 26 tons and picked up 235 wickets. As his wicketkeeper, Chappell picked Australia’s Adam Gilchrist, who used the long handle to good effect. Batting in the lower middle-order, the southpaw played a number of match-winning knocks.

Wasim Akram, Pakistan’s all-time leading wicket-taker in international cricket, also features in the list. The left-armer didn’t have a long run-up but used to bamboozle the batters with their pace and swing. Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thompson are the other fast bowlers in the list.

Shane Warne, the former Australian spinner, is the only tweaker in Chappell’s eleven. Warne was the first cricketer to reach the 700-wicket mark in Tests, though Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan toppled him later. Even after 13 years since his retirement, Warne’s legacy remains.

Greg Chappell’s most exciting Test XI

Virender Sehwag, Colin Milburn, Sir Vivian Richards, Graeme Pollock, Virat Kohli, Sir Garfield Sobers, Adam Gilchrist, Wasim Akram, Shane Warne, Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson