Former Australian World Cup-winning captain Michael Clarke has recently revealed his all-time Indian Test XI. Among the present Indian regular Test cricketers, who recently created the history after winning India’s first ever Test series in Australia, only two players are in Clarke’s all-time Indian Test squad.
As Indian cricket has the long history along with the many star and successful cricketers, it wasn’t an easy job for Clarke to create the all-time Indian Test XI. However, the 37-year-old has recently revealed this special team with the brief reasons at PlayersVoice.
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Since October 2016, India is on top of the ICC Test rankings. However, only two players of the present Indian Test squad have been selected in Clarke’s Test XI. Both of them have featured in the recently concluded Test series in Australia that India won for the first time ever.
Talking about the opening batsmen, Clarke selected the legendary Sunil Gavaskar and the entertaining attacking batsman Virender Sehwag.
Clarke told on PlayersVoice, “I have to start with Sunil Gavaskar. I think he is India’s all-time best opening batsman. Partnering him will be Virender Sehwag, one of my favourite batsmen of all time, extremely aggressive..”
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At next, Clarke named “The Wall” Rahul Dravid for no.3 batting while another legendary and the most run-scorer in international cricket as well as in both the Test & ODI formats, Sachin Tendulkar has been named at the no.4.
Clarke said, “Rahul Dravid, the wall, will be at number three. So hard to get out. Number four, the great Sachin Tendulkar, speaks for himself.”
Present Indian skipper Virat Kohli is at no.5 in Clarke’s XI.
The former Australian captain added about Kohli, “He is an absolute superstar.”
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Rohit Sharma is the next player in that list. Kohli and Rohit are the only Indian players who were in the Test squad during India’s recent historic Test series victory in Australia. However, Rohit played only two matches of that four-match Test series.
Talking about Rohit, Clarke quoted, “Rohit is as talented a player as I have seen through my career.”
Former Indian skipper and present Indian limited-overs wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni is the wicketkeeper in Clarke’s Indian Test XI.
The 1983 World Cup-winning captain and one of the best pace-bowling all-rounders in international cricket history, Kapil Dev is his only all-rounder in this list.
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While the former spin-bowling partners, the leg-spinner Anil Kumble and the off-spinner Harbhajan Singh are in Clarke’s Indian Test XI squad, the former left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan is the only specialist pacer in the squad.
Michael Clarke’s all-time Indian Test XI: Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni (wk), Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan.
"As talented a player as I've seen".
This is @MClarke23's all-time Indian Test XI. Who would make yours? @Hublot #PlayersVoice #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/AnqAYk6EKq
— AthletesVoice (@athletesvoice) January 9, 2019
