India's greatest Test XI as 500th Test knocks the door

The Test format has been considered as the true pinnacle of the sport. As India takes on the Kiwis in the first Test, the Green Park will witness history as the Indian cricket team plays it’s 500th Test match. Only England, Australia and West Indies have featured in more Tests. The BCCI has made special plans to felicitate the former captains ranging from Vengsarkar and Azharuddin to Tendulkar and Dravid for the momentous occasion. A specially minted silver coin with 500th Test embossed on it is being prepared for the toss. The Indian Test team has witnessed an outstanding journey. There have been various ups and downs. Some terrific batting and some outstanding spells that have created numerous memories in the minds of the cricketing universe. At the eve of this remarkable event, CricTracker presents the Dream Indian Test team of all time: 1. Virender Sehwag Virender Sehwag. (Photo by Santosh Harhare/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) ‘No matter how good and experienced you are, he can kill your attitude’, Brett Lee. The Nawab of Najafgarh as he’s popularly known holds the distinction of being the only Indian to score a triple century that too on a couple of occasions. He has been a menace for the bowlers especially in this format where batsmen tend to be more defensive. A run tally of 8586 with a splendid average of 49.34, Sehwag is unarguably the greatest opener to have played modern day Test cricket for India. He didn’t take much time in establishing his authority over a bowler and redefined the opening role in Test cricket. 2. Sunil Gavaskar Sunil Gavaskar in action for India. (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto/Getty Images) ‘To a country starved of self respect, Gavaskar was godsend’, Harsha Bhogle. The Little Master as he was known during his playing days revived Indian cricket along with establishing a legacy for the young generations to come. He rewrote the history of cricketing records which took decades to get surpassed. The first cricketer to touch the 10,000 landmark, Gavaskar with a staggering average of 51.12 is regarded as one of the finest to have ever played the game. His batting flair rejuvenated in every stroke he used to play. 3. Rahul Dravid Indian batsman Rahul Dravid. (Photo credit PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP/Getty Images) ‘Try to take his wicket in the first fifteen minutes, If you can’t then only try to take the remaining wickets’, Steve Waugh. Regarded as the ‘Wall’ of the Indian batting order, Rahul Dravid’s ability to wear down the best of the bowling attacks was simply a cricketing marvel. His consistency and perfection at the crease marked his significance as the No.3 batsman in the Indian Test side. An aggregate of 13288 runs at a magnificent average of 52.31, Dravid was one of the mainstays of the Indian batting lineup for more than a decade. He also had one of the safest pair of hands in Indian cricket mostly at slips with a record 210 catches. 4. Sachin Tendulkar Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo Source: PA Photos) ‘Don’t bowl him bad balls, he hits the good ones for fours’, Michael Kasprowicz Being an inspiration for millions to have ever held the bat, the contribution of Sachin Tendulkar to cricket is equivalent with Muhammad Ali to boxing or Michael Jordan to basketball. Every time he stepped into the crease, the cricketing fraternity got to witness a pinch of his masterclass. An unbelievable record tally of 15921 runs at an astounding average of 53.79, he belted everything that came his way with the same kind of vigour. His solid technique and hunger for runs in particular, set him apart from rest of the batsmen in the world. It’s impossible to emulate the standards that Tendulkar set throughout his career. 5. VVS Laxman Indian batsman VVS Laxman. (Photo credit EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) ‘Laxman could potentially play shots on either side of the wicket to any given ball’, Muralitharan. A wristy player known for his sublime strokes, Laxman was a standout performer with the bat, every time his team needed a miraculous effort. His majestic innings of 281 against Australia that changed the fate of the Kolkata Test is widely regarded as one of the greatest Test innings ever. With an aggregate of 8781 runs with majority of runs scored batting at No. 5 and No. 6, Laxman dazzled whenever he got the opportunity. A batsman with sheer prominence to hold on to the crease till the task was done. Laxman is India’s best bet at No.5 above Ganguly. 6. MS Dhoni (Captain & WK) MS Dhoni. (© Getty Images) ‘The coolest man in world cricket – MS Dhoni delivers when it matters the most’, Michael Vaughan. MS Dhoni’s unprecedented success as a leader well describes his aura. While he wasn’t one of the best in business with the bat when it comes to the traditional format, his fierce captaincy helped India grab the numero uno status in Tests. Also read- 19 Records held by MS Dhoni in Test Cricket With 4876 runs at a decent average of 38.09, Dhoni is the most successful wicket-keeper batsman and captain to have ever represented India. While his skills behind the stumps remain unmatched, it was his efficiency in carving out special innings batting with tailenders that held most of his stature. 7. Kapil Dev Kapil Dev. (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto/Getty Images) ‘An all round cricketer of charismatic brilliance’, Martin-Jenkins (Journalist) The greatest pacer and fast bowling all-rounder that India ever produced, Kapil Dev was a cricketing marvel in his generation. The swing he used to generate while bowling and the audacity by which he used to hit the ball defined his class. The only cricketer to have scored a double of 5000 runs as well as 400 wickets, Kapil Dev managed to create an inspiration in himself. His leadership qualities are also well sought after and so are his athleticism in the field. 8. Anil Kumble Anil Kumble. (Photo credit LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images) ‘His greatness lay in the fact that he would bowl the last delivery of the day with the same amount of fire irrespective of his performance during the day’, Sachin Tendulkar. Jumbo, as he was fondly called by his teammates achieved tremendous success and is till date India’s most successful bowler ever. His variations with subtle pace and bounce made life difficult for the batsmen. With a sumptuous tally of 619 Test wickets next only to the invincible Muralitharan and the magician Warne, Kumble spearheaded the Indian bowling attack for more than a decade. He is famously renowned for his 10/74 in an innings against Pakistan, becoming only the second cricketer to achieve the feat. 9. Zaheer Khan Zaheer Khan of India. (Photo credit Marty Melville/AFP/Getty Images) ‘Zaheer Khan is the Sachin Tendulkar of Indian bowling’, MS Dhoni. A prodigious fast bowling talent for India, Zaheer Khan was the second most successful pacer for India after Kapil Dev. His ability to swing the new ball and reverse swing the old ball was widely lauded. Having a superb bowling average of 32.94, Zaheer Khan had 311 wickets to his name. One of the pacers who always excelled in diverse conditions, Zak as he was fondly known, relished playing in challenging situations which ultimately brought the best out of him. 10. Bishan Bedi Sport, Cricket, pic: circa 1970’s, Bishen Singh Bedi (Bishan Singh Bedi), India, left arm spin bowler (Photo by Bob Thomas/Getty Images) ‘Bishan Bedi’s talent was vast and he had the heart to match. The beauty of his action was bewitching and he had the cruelty to go with it.’, Suresh Menon. Known as the Sardar of Spin during his playing days, Bishan Bedi was a slow left-arm orthodox bowler. He was regarded as an expert in flighting the ball and also went on to captain the Indian side for a brief period. An exceptional tally of 266 wickets in 67 Tests, that too at a fantastic bowling average of 28.71, he was a consistent wicket taking bowler and an asset to any captain. He was regarded as the epitome of left-arm spin and was unmatchable in his era. 11. Javagal Srinath India’s Anil Kumble (R) Javagal Srinath. (Photo by -/AFP/Getty Images) ‘Srinath is the most grossly underrated bowler in the world’, Imran Khan. Srinath was one of the bowlers who could keep the batsman’s skill to test with his pace and swing. The speedster used to consistently touch the 145-150kph mark, a rare sight for Indian bowlers. The Karnataka Express had 236 wickets in 67 tests at a fine bowling average of 30.49. He was the frontline bowler for India after Kapil Dev and had the ability to run into great batting lineups, a trait of any champion bowler. This is what according to us is India’s Greatest XI . If you have any suggestions or opinions? Let us know in the comments section below. Also read- We certainly have what it takes to be the best team in the world: Virat Kohli

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India's greatest Test XI as 500th Test knocks the door

7. Kapil Dev

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