All-Time Test XIs

[Dr. Pepper]

Maybe I am a tad biased, but is there a case for Sehwag in the all time XI ?

When I was checking out this thread a few weeks ago I thought that but I didn't post it because I didn't want to sound stupid.

Sehwag's stats back him up. On a year by year basis he's been consistently brilliant. He's only improved when he's got older. His strike rate is immense whilst still scoring the highest scores. The only countries where he hasn't been brilliant though is England and New Zealand. With English conditions being good for seamers and there being good movement, would that have been Sehwag's downfall? He hardly moves his feet when he bats and that could be a problem vs swinging conditions. I guess with that blatant weakness it could be difficult for him to get in. But his stats are quite brilliant though - averaging 54.14 at a strike rate of 81.31.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Viru makes it into an All-Time India XI for me.

But he's got too much competition here. Hobbs, Sutcliffe, Gavaskar, Desmond, Haynes, Zaheer Abbas...

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Yeah I wouldn't have him in the First XI but I think he warrants a mention and would be on the shortlist.

 

[Dare]

Viru makes it into an All-Time India XI for me.

But he's got too much competition here. Hobbs, Sutcliffe, Gavaskar, Desmond, Haynes, Zaheer Abbas...

Desmond??:help

 

[King Pietersen]

Viru makes it into an All-Time India XI for me.

But he's got too much competition here. Hobbs, Sutcliffe, Gavaskar, Desmond, Haynes, Zaheer Abbas...

*AHEM* Richards

Desmond??:help

Think he added an extra comma there accidentally, he meant Desmond Haynes.

 

[Dare]

Think he added an extra comma there accidentally, he meant Desmond Haynes.

That works. BTW Zorax, Greenidge >> Haynes.

Dare added 11 Minutes and 58 Seconds later...

First XI

Jack Hobbs
Sunil Gavaskar
Don Bradman
Wally Hammond
Garfield Sobers
Imran Khan*
Adam Gilchrist+
Shane Warne
Malcolm Marshall
Curtly Ambrose 1
Glen McGrath 2

Second XI

Matthew Hayden
Len Hutton
Viv Richards *
Brian Lara
Sachin Tendulkar
Jacques Kallis
Alan Knott+
Richard Hadlee
Wasim Akram 1
Denis Lillee 2
Muttiah Muralitharan

 

[sifter132]

Sehwag's stats back him up. On a year by year basis he's been consistently brilliant. He's only improved when he's got older. His strike rate is immense whilst still scoring the highest scores. The only countries where he hasn't been brilliant though is England and New Zealand. With English conditions being good for seamers and there being good movement, would that have been Sehwag's downfall? He hardly moves his feet when he bats and that could be a problem vs swinging conditions. I guess with that blatant weakness it could be difficult for him to get in. But his stats are quite brilliant though - averaging 54.14 at a strike rate of 81.31.

Building on that, I have a couple problems with Sehwag before he even gets close to being one of history's great openers:
a) he's made about 70-75% of his runs in Asia and his average outside Asia is around 40. His home/away split looks excellent at first glance, but most of that comes from his figures in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. He's also done well in Australia, but in England, SA and NZ he's failed. We just haven't seen him tested enough in good bowling conditions.
b) his average in the first innings is more than DOUBLE his average in the second innings. He average's 70 in the first, 31 in the 2nd. Only ONE of his 20 100s have come in the 2nd innings. That just smacks of flat track bully syndrome. Where are his fighting innings??

 

[Adarsh]

:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh

Lolololololololoolol. I can make a great argooment by lolling lulz.

I'm not saying he's a definite shoo in, but in modern times he stands apart as an opener, only Smith and Hayden maybe on par with him. His strike rate for his average is almost Bradmanesque (not saying he is, before you call this another ridiculous claim). Given his strike rate, his average looks so much more impressive. He is able to win matches.

He hasn't performed as well in England, but let's be fair to him, he's only toured here once, and that was way back before he peaked. He has made major contributions in the subcontinent converting draws into victories, that's what makes him special in my books. I will agree with the others that before he increases his average in England and South Africa he may not be considered one of the best openers in the world of all time.

....Then again, Warne didn't do too well in India did he ?

Adarsh added 1 Minutes and 36 Seconds later...

@ KP, if you mean Viv Richards, he wasn't an opener.

 

[sifter132]

Well there is another side to that coin though. His quick scoring also converts potential draws into losses. Take this match against Sri Lanka for example, if India collapses this morning then they have left Sri Lanka a lot of time to win the match. If Sehwag had taken another 100 balls to make his current score, then it would be harder for Sri Lanka to win.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Meant Greenidge, Haynes but that's what I get for typing when half asleep.

Barry Richards too, sure, why not.


I should do a second XI too...Murali gets the spinner slow, Gilly will come in for the keeper. Gavaskar is one opener, middle order will have Viv Richards, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting. Pace attack will probably be Imran Khan, Sydney Barnes and Glenn McGrath/Waqar Younis/Curtly Ambrose...

 

[pcfan123]

Greg Chappel is a notable omission from some teams, and agree with Sifter that Imran Khan is a surprise omission. He should be in all the 1st XIs if not the captain

Mark added 2 Minutes and 26 Seconds later...

Lolololololololoolol. I can make a great argooment by lolling lulz.

.

Considering him for a spot in the all time Test XI deserved nothing more.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

How do you fit Imran in? Not as an opener or the spinner or the keeper, so that leaves 7 slots. He won't get the allrounders spot over Sobers. Will he make it as one of the 3 seamers? Or will you have 3 seamers, Sobers, spinner and drop one of the 3 middle order batsmen?

If you get him in as the third seamer, which two out of Marshall, Lillee, Wasim, Barnes, etc. do you pick?

Advantage to fitting him in, you get insanely deep batting.

 

[shravi]

How do you fit Imran in? Not as an opener or the spinner or the keeper, so that leaves 7 slots. He won't get the allrounders spot over Sobers. Will he make it as one of the 3 seamers? Or will you have 3 seamers, Sobers, spinner and drop one of the 3 middle order batsmen?

If you get him in as the third seamer, which two out of Marshall, Lillee, Wasim, Barnes, etc. do you pick?

Advantage to fitting him in, you get insanely deep batting.

Nah, play 2 all rounders because Sobers can make it as a batsman alone.

Sir Jack Hobbs
Sunil Gavaskar
Sir Donald Bradman
Sachin Tendulkar/Sir Vivian Richards
Sir Garfield Sobers
+ Adam Gilchrist
* Imran Khan
Wasim Akram
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee
Malcolm Marshall

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Hmm, yea, fitting Gilly in does help a bit. I'd bat Imran at 6 and keep Gilly at 7 tho.

 

[Dare]

How do you fit Imran in? Not as an opener or the spinner or the keeper, so that leaves 7 slots. He won't get the allrounders spot over Sobers. Will he make it as one of the 3 seamers? Or will you have 3 seamers, Sobers, spinner and drop one of the 3 middle order batsmen?

If you get him in as the third seamer, which two out of Marshall, Lillee, Wasim, Barnes, etc. do you pick?

Advantage to fitting him in, you get insanely deep batting.

I put Sobers at #5 and Imran at #6. Sobers in my team fills in as the 2nd spinner with Imran being the 4th pace option. When Imran made his comeback after that leg injury he averaged 50 with the bat and below 20 with the ball and it lasted for about 10 years. That alone makes him an automatic selection for my team add on the great leadership and it makes him the perfect cricketer.