Test Decades XIs

[icyman]

Good thread this, but have to say will reserve my commenting for the era which I have seen more cricket in. 1990s onwards!

 

[Supreme General]

Good thread this, but have to say will reserve my commenting for the era which I have seen more cricket in. 1990s onwards!

The real spice begins with the '70s now

Yeah... from here on in, things are going to get very controversial concerning some major snubs in the teams.

 

[Supreme General]

1980s

1. Sunil Gavaskar (65/125)- First batter to reach 10,000 test runs, one of the batters I would have opening in my All-time test XI and a great player of pretty much of any type of bowling. Aside from his commentary sounding like nails on a chalk board at times, everything he did in a cricket stadium was just exquisite apart from that famous protest ODI knock in 1975.
2. Gordon Greenidge (75/108)- An irresistible attacking opening batter that bowlers all over the world came to fear especially if he had slight injury and would score bucket-loads of runs with his opening partner Desmond Haynes. His shot making was breath-taking and a marvel for anyone to behold not just at test level but at domestic First-class level as well
3. Viv Richards (78/121)- It's Viv Richards. He is aura personified: from his swagger, facing 90mph bouncers in a cap and hooking them into the stands and the way he would blast the ball to the boundary. A true box-office cricketer who needs no introduction.
4. Javed Miandad (76/124)- Saw cricket in a different way to so many of his peers and those who came before him. The man who made hitting up and over cover fashionable and is the greatest Pakistani batter they have produced to date whose average for his entire career never dropped below 50. Just a world-class batter.
5. Allan Border (97/156)- The yang to the Richards and Miandad Yin. Allan Border was in the you are taking my life before you take my wicket mould. He came into an Australian team in a low ebb and left it as the best side in the world, a hero to so many Australians who grew up in that era. AB would never back down from a fight and his record against the might West Indian attacks just show his determination with bat in hand.
6. Ian Botham (75/102)- Ian Botham's overall career numbers don't do him justice really. Blighted by injuries that cost him a yard or two of pace with ball and less fluid with the bat mixed in with his grand playboy image that the flowing mullet really helped to elevate. Nevertheless, in his pomp, Beefy is up there amongst the absolute greatest all-rounders to play the game.
7. Imran Khan (54/88)- Talking of great allrounders, Imran Khan during the 1980s scored 2430 runs at 44 and took 256 wickets at 19, those are mindboggling numbers. Not just that, he did them consistently in all conditions against the best teams as shown with his performances vs West Indies and Australia home and away with them being the best sides during his career.
8. Jeff Dujon (64/81)- He maybe batting 8 here but Dujon is far from a specialist wicketkeeper, he had almost 10,000 FC runs at an average of 39, his test average is just a shy below 32. In his 81 caps, he never appeared in a losing series just showing to what a dominant side he belonged to. Great and athletic behind the stumps and capable with the bat for the team.
9. Richard Hadlee (53/86)-How about another legendary all-rounder? The greatest Kiwi cricketer and you would find very few people who would disagree. A lot better with the bat to be batting 9 but his bowling record with high pace that turned to lethal swing bowling is out of this world. The Notts legend, took 431 test wickets at 22.29 and 1,490 FC wickets at a ludicrous 18.11.
10. Malcolm Marshall (63/81)- In many people's eyes, the ultimate fast bowler. 376 test wickets at 20.94, is the second best economy for anyone with 200 test wickets. his average in the 1980s was below 20. Bowled rapid and unlike the other West Indian bowlers of the time he did at a height of below 6ft. No-brainer pick
11. Joel Garner (49/58)- Big Bird clocked in at 6ft 8in, even his fuller deliveries had batters on the back front. His test average is 0.03 off his teammate Marshall's and is widely considered as the greatest ODI bowler of all time. Unfortunately at the end of his career reoccurring back and shoulder injuries put an end to one of the most unique and talented bowlers in cricket history.
12. Martin Crowe (45/77)- Even with the presence of Kane Williamson, Martin Crowe can still hold a potential claim to being New Zealand's greatest batter. Having to learn how to bat at test level from a young age making his debut at 19 and then crippling injuries that ruined his prime make his numbers not stand out as much. However, the accounts of his contemporaries and people of the time speak testament to how naturally talented the Kiwi really was.
13. Abdul Qadir (57/67)- The player credited in reviving the leg spin art before Shane Warne skyrocketed to stardom. Qadir was widely considered the best spinner of his generation. A generation which was dominated by fast bowlers, Qadir managed to find his niche and excelled in it to become one of the best leg spinners of all time.

 

[Supreme General]

1990s

1. Mark Taylor (93/104)- Tubs was a stalwart throughout the 1990s including being a quite instrumental captain in Australia's road to world domination. He started his career in record breaking fashion before plateauing but he was still a reliable figure opening the batting.
2. Gary Kirsten (56/101)- Nowhere near the most elegant batter you will ever see but one you could back to bat for your life for a long time. Helping guide South Africa shortly after readmission towards the heady heights they would reach in the late 1990s and early 2000s and beyond.
3. Mark Waugh (99/129)- Any Australian or even just any cricket fan from the 1990s talk about Junior as one of the most elegant batter of the era. Having the shot for any ball and buckets for hands at slip Mark Waugh had the same problem as Barry Richards when it came to scoring big runs that he felt were unnecessary.
4. Aravinda Da Silva (62/93)- Similar mould to Mark Waugh that he had motivation problems when it came to meaningless games or moments but when there was something on the line he had all the skill in the world. So much so that even Sangakkara and Jayawardene called him the greatest Sri Lankan batter, that is some high praise indeed.
5. Steve Waugh (89/168)- An all round talent in his youth until his back put an end to him bowling his decent medium pace bowling. But what remained throughout his career was his dogged ability to never back down and score runs. Sometimes he batted for his average but Steve Waugh would always play to win and never lose no matter what whether with bat or leading his troops as captain in the field.
6. Andy Flower (39/63)- It's not too far off the mark to say that if Andy Flower didn't score runs, Zimbabwe didn't stand too much of a chance in a test match. An incredible talent for a team that was trying to find its feet in test cricket, he could have played for a few more years if his 60 avg for Essex for few years after his forced international retirement for protesting the horrors done by the Mugabe regime.
7. Wasim Akram (62/104)- The 1990s was a bowling decade and Wasim Akram at 7 and the bowling attack to follow shows it. Akram is the greatest left-arm quick cricket has ever seen. Fast with deadly swing and reverse swing, he was a nightmare to batters at any point of the game no matter who you were.
8. Shane Warne (80/145)- The late legendary Shane Keith Warne is the greatest leg spinner and probably the greatest spin bowler cricket has ever seen. A figure that transcended the sport from the very early days of his career to his very last as a commentator. Simply put, there will never be anyone else like him.
9. Curtly Ambrose (71/98)- 6ft 7in behemoth of a person and deadly from 22 yards with a cricket ball in hand. 405 test wickets at 20.99 is just extraordinary figures. Managed to get in the greatest West Indian test team of all time and was one of the few players who kept the West Indies competitive during their decline years. A shoe in selection.
10. Allan Donald (59/72)- 'White Lightning' was a very apt nickname for the South African. He bowled like the clappers and when he had ball in hand he was electric and the batters were in for quite a shock while heading back to the pavillion after be dismissed by him or concussed by him.
11. Courtney Walsh (78/132)- Ambrose's partner in crime for the West Indies and a lethal weapon for Gloucestershire for 13 years. Walsh's consistency and deadliness to batters for the best part of 2 decades is immense, first bowler to reach 500 test wickets for a reason.
12. Mohammad Azharuddin (64/99)- I mean if you want to win, having a match fixer in your squad can go a long way. That moment tarnished the career of a very talented batter who had some of the best wrists in the game at the time making him such a threat to bowl to. His average of 51.98 in FC cricket after scoring 15,855 runs is a testament to that fact.
13. Waqar Younis (56/87)- The perfect embodiment of a strike bowler. His best ball most probably a reverse swinging yorker delivered in the mid 90smph was too good for any batter to ever play the sport.

 

[Supreme General]

2000s

1. Matthew Hayden (96/103)- The big powerful Australian southpaw set the tone for that Golden era of Australian cricket at the top of the order. He has the second highest ever score in test match history and was simply feared by bowlers all over the world.
2. Graeme Smith (79/117)- given the responsibility of being South Africa's captain at an obscenely young age and he excelled at it. Biff wasnt the most mesmerising to watch bat but he found a way to just keep amassing runs.
3. Kumar Sangakkara (88/134)- 12,400 test runs at 57.40 are figures that seem like they come from a video game. And at times Sanga looked like he was playing on easy mode, able to pretty much master batting in any conditions he faced. However, while still having that hunger to try and be better with every innings, never taking anything for granted.
4. Sachin Tendulkar (89/200)- Talking about batting masters, Sachin is just a cricketing god. A batting talent in the echelons of Don Bradman himself and did pretty much everything at the highest level over his mammoth 24 year career.
5. Brian Lara (66/131)- The Prince of Trinidad was just box office to watch really. A man who just loved to score runs and keep scoring runs and sledge him at your peril. The high bat lift, flashing blade all were as iconic as those record breaking knocks of 400* and 501*. A true great of the game
6. Jacques Kallis (101/166)- 13,289 runs, 292 wickets and 200 catches. Jacques Kallis was a beast of an allrounder who could do it all. And he did it at such a high level throughout his career and all while being an absolute legend of the sport.
7. Adam Gilchrist (91/96)- The best wicketkeeper batter in the history of the sport and its not really a debate. The power, the bat that was wielded as if he was a samurai with a katana. Just as a team think they have broken through that great Australian batting lineup, Gilchrist would come in and punish the usually already tired bowlers.
8. Shaun Pollock (70/108)- Another world class talent produced by the Pollock dynasty. Shaun was a great allrounder, averaging 32 with the bat and 23 with the ball, opposing teams truly feared playing against him in all facets of the game
9. Anil Kumble (74/132)- 4th highest wicket taker in test history and only one of 3 players to take 10 wickets in an innings. Kumble was a stalwart of the India side for 18 years, the leg spinner's reputation in the annals of cricketing history is a great one.
10. Muttiah Muralitharan (84/133)- The greatest finger spinner in the history of the game and the only one who can challenge Warne for the greatest spinner of all time. Many a batter was bamboozled by Murali's bowling, all his different variations and the much discussed hyperextended arm that all added to the mystery while he took a record 800 test wickets.
11. Glenn McGrath (66/124)- Maybe the most accurate bowler in test history. He terrorised batters with his metronomic bowling in and around off stump, finding many an edge of clipping the top off stump. Just deadly to face with those 563 wickets to show for it.
12. Rahul Dravid (103/164)- The Wall is a more than fitting nickname for Dravid but he wasnt just a blocker. His technique was just pure and elegant to see just not the most entertaining, a great thinker of the game who could play in all conditions.
13. Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas (77/111)- One of the great names in cricket, Vaas was also a highly talented left arm fast medium bowler. His test record slightly dented due to him playing alot at home on pitches that weren't made for him but his first class average of 24.64 just shows his great talent with ball in hand.

 

[Supreme General]

2010s

1. Alastair Cook (111/161)- Chef had about 3 shots in his locker: block, cut and glance but he was the best at making the most out of them and scoring buckets of runs for such a long period of time. Most runs by a test opener of all time is no easy task especially having to play a lot of your games in England.
2. David Warner (83/112)- Such an aggressive batter to create a yin and yang combination with Cook. Warner had his trouble against the moving ball but when he was in he was devastating to any bowler in his crosshairs. Just don't put him in charge of ball maintenance.
3. Kane Williamson (78/105)- Probably is New Zealand's greatest ever batter and is their highest run scorer. Always looks like he is so much time in the way he just elegantly plays under his eyes and consistently scoring big runs. 1st of the Fab four to make their appearance.
4. Steve Smith (72/119)- Originally picked cause he could bowl a bit, he became the standout test batter of the decade when he wasn't crying in an airport. At a time, he was the second coming of Bradman and well on his way into the discussion along with the Don and Sachin as the greatest test batter of all time.
5. Joe Root (89/158)- 2nd highest run scorer in Test cricket history and well on his way to number 1 (but by the time that happens he probably be in the 2020s team). There was a time when people questioned his conversion rate and whether he should be in the same league as the other 3 in the fab 4, his form since 2021 has silenced every doubter in the world as he proved his legendary status as England's greatest test batter.
6. AB De Villiers (60/114)- A little but of a fudged pick but AB De Villiers is such a natural batter with ample time, regardless of whether it's playing spin or high 90mph bowling. He could do everything on a cricket field, slog, block, field, keep even bowl so he had to make it in this side.
7. Ravindra Jadeja (48/85)- A man who can average near 40 with the bat and 25 with the ball as either first or in this case second choice spinner acting as the pure genuine all rounder. Someone you can trust in a pressure situation and in many different conditions.
8. Ravichandaran Ashwin (70/106)- A legendary off spinner who is quite likely the third best spinner in test history. A nightmare to any left hander and a great thinker of the game who always tried to find an edge literally and figuratively that would give him victory in any battle no matter what.
9. Kagiso Rabada (41/71)- KG is an awesome talent and a wicket taking machine. The best strike rate in test cricket, youngest player to 150 test wickets. He is just amazing and almost impossible to prevent him from picking up wickets.
10. Dale Steyn (59/93)- In an era which was notorious for its batting dominance, Steyn stood out as a bowler who could still give any batter nightmares. Able to swing the ball both ways at high pace who can also just as easily send you to the hospital, he truly was a generational and all time talent.
11. Jimmy Anderson (106/188)- Just the greatest fast/seam/swing bowler to do it especially considering for how long he did it for. 704 test wickets, a pioneer/teacher of the wobble ball, which led to it revolutionising the landscape and status quo of tests as we knew it. His ability with a swinging or reverse swinging ball that tormented batters for 2 decades.
12. Virat Kohli (84/123)- One of the greatest all format talents cricket has ever had. His peaks were immense which led to his godlike status not just in India but a figure of great respect the world over. Always a huge advocate for test cricket even when it was cruel to him at the back end of his career, means that all the fab 4 is in the squad.
13. Stuart Broad (111/161)- Jimmy's partner in crime, the second most wickets for a fast bowler. Broad is the ultimate cricket shithouser and meme king but also the best bowler of a match changing spell when his legs start pumping there was an inevitability of a 5fer for very little.