Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has picked a combined XI comprising Indian and England cricketers based on their performances in the recently concluded five-match Test series. However, the five-match series between India and England ended in a 2-2 draw as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “The first name I have kept is Yashasvi Jaiswal. Ben Duckett’s name could have also been there, but I am going to put Yashasvi. It’s not like a chalk-and-cheese difference. Yashasvi, I felt, has done well. He scored hundreds in the first and last matches, and had two half-centuries in between,” Chopra said.

“The first name I have kept is Yashasvi Jaiswal. Ben Duckett’s name could have also been there, but I am going to put Yashasvi. It’s not like a chalk-and-cheese difference. Yashasvi, I felt, has done well. He scored hundreds in the first and last matches, and had two half-centuries in between,” Chopra again said.

While choosing England’s Joe Root and India’s Shubman Gill as his No. 3 and No. 4 batters, respectively, he stated that they can swap their positions as well.

READ HERE: Shubman Gill Takes Sly Dig At His Critics After India Win At Edgbaston

“At No. 3, I have kept Joe Root. He has scored valuable runs in this series. He has been that pillar and rock that England needed. He is batting at No. 4 otherwise, but I have kept his name at No. 3. I could have also kept Gill’s name at No. 3,” Chopra added. “Just like this team can’t be made without Joe Root, it can’t be made without Gill either. He has scored more than 750 runs. He is the highest run-scorer of the series, and by a considerable margin. However, his name is not there in some people’s teams. How can that be the case?”

“I could have kept either Rishabh Pant or Harry Brook at No. 5. I have kept both in the team, and you can make them bat in whichever position you want. My keeper-batter is, of course, Rishabh Pant, who bats even with a broken foot. He is someone who has been outstanding. Everyone is saying that this guy is a generational player, and he is making Test cricket entertaining. It’s the same thing about Harry Brook. He plays incredibly. Whenever England’s chips are down, he is the one who comes good,” he further added.

However, Aakash Chopra also picked England’s Ben Stokes and India’s Ravindra Jadeja as two all-rounders in his squad.

“At No. 7, I have got Ben Stokes. He is slightly off-position. He should have been at No. 6, but I have kept him at No. 7. He has been outstanding. If he had played the last match, the result might have been different. He has scored runs, but the highlight was his bowling,” he said. “At No. 8, I have got Ravindra Jadeja. I was thinking about Washington Sundar also here, but I will have Ravindra Jadeja here. Jaddu has scored runs consistently. Of course, he hasn’t taken too many wickets. He got fewer opportunities to take wickets as well, and spin hasn’t done that well.”

“I am keeping Jasprit Bumrah at No. 9 in my team. India didn’t win any of the three matches he played. However, don’t be under any illusion. He is a once-in-a-generation player. Miyan Magic at No. 10, no shadow of doubt, considering the number of overs he bowled and the number of wickets he picked up with and without Bumrah. He has bowled more than 1100 balls and taken 23 wickets – brilliant. There are many honorable mentions here – Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Jofra Archer. However, at No. 11, I am going to pick Josh Tongue. Sometimes he is wayward, but he picks up wickets. I am going with pure wickets here,” Aakash Chopra concluded.

Aakash Chopra’s India-England combined XI after ENG vs IND 2025 series:

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Joe Root, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Tongue