World Test Team

[chiranjitpathak]

Actually Smith has captained more test matches than ponting. 71 compared to ricky's 65.

Yes Smith has captained in most matches but Ricky Ponting has won more matches

 

[ZoraxDoom]

That's not hard to do when you have Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist, Hayden, Langer, Lee, etc. in your team. Give those players to anyone and they'll have a win rate of above 70% too...

 

[King Pietersen]

Ponting wasn't even the best captain in that side, Warne was.

 

[shravi]

Watson now has his first century, Dan . I think my team's looking very good right about now.

 

[khalek]

New line up:

Graeme Smith (c)
Gautam Gambhir
Shane Watson
Michael Clarke
Umar Akmal
Angelo Mathews
Brendon Mccullum (wk)
Shakib Al Hasan
Mohammad Aamer/Graeme Swann on spinning tracks
Dale Steyn
James Anderson

 

[JD10]

Mine on recent test form:
1.G.Smith
2.S.Watson
3.G.Gambhir
4.J.Kallis
5.P.Collingwood
6.Ian Bell
7.Mark Boucher
8.Mohammed Aamir
9.G.Swann
10.Dale Steyn
11.James Anderson

 

[Num]

My World Test Team:

1. V.Sehwag
2. G.Smith (c)
3. R.Dravid
4. S.Tendulkar
5. M.Clarke
6. K.Sangakkara (wk)
7. S.Watson
8. M.Johnson
9. G.Swann
10. D.Steyn
11. B.Hilfenhaus

 

[War]

Mine on based on a mixture of recent form & overall career success in this format, since i always believe form ins temporarly - while class is permanent (unless that class great player in a serious decline i.e Murali right now).

Smith
Sehwag
Ponting
Tendulkar
Kallis
Sangakkara
Watson
Vettori
Johnson
Steyn
Asif

BACKUPS: Pietersen, Bollinger, Swann, Boucher/Dhoni/Haddin/McCullum (cant split them).

 

[shravi]

Sangakkara hasn't kept for quite a while now... justsayin'

 

[sifter132]

^And Watson ain't a #7 anymore people. While it's nice to fit him in, he thrives on the responsibility of batting higher.

 

[War]

The only reason Sangakkara doesn't keep anymore in tests for Sri Lanka based on my understanding. Is simply because now that he their captain & bats @ 3, it would a HUGE burden for him to him to have the gloves as well. Thus P Jayawardene keeps in tests. Sanga's keeping is still top quality, since in ODIs he keeps very well which is clear sign that keeping has not declined or anything.

If Mahela was still SRI captain i reckon Sanga may still have been keeping for in tests too. Him not keeping in tests in recent years simply is just him adapting to his new responsibilites & the balance of the SRI side in the various formats.


On Watson its the same thing. I see him as super versatile batsman who can bat anywhere in the top 6/7 & be successfull.

 

[Dare]

Yea but when you are making a Test XI you are building a proper team. Two openers playing at 1&2 and then the middle order batsman at 3,4,5,6 with the WK included in there if he is a good batsman like Sanga or at #7 if thats the usual batting spot for that keeper.

I can build a team of Tendulkar, Ponting, Kallis, Sanga, Jayawardene, Smith, KP, Clarke, Chanderpaul but where is the fun in that when only one guy is a opener. I know that all of those guys could adapt to open because they are good enough to do so.

 

[sifter132]

Here look at my team, this is how to build one...
1 V.Sehwag
2 S.Katich/S.Watson (if you want more bowling)
3 H.Amla
4 M.Jayawardene
5 M.Clarke
6 R.Taylor
7 M.Dhoni
8 G.Swann
9 M.Johnson
10 Z.Khan
11 D.Steyn

 

[Num]

I think my team is fairly proper, the top 5 all batting in their usual positions for their respective countries. I agree that Watson is a fairly versatile batsman and I don't think shifting him to opener is worth dropping/putting out of position the current openers.

 

[King Pietersen]

Shane Watson
Virender Sehwag
Simon Katich
Sachin Tendulkar
Michael Clarke
Hashim Amla
Brendon McCullum +
Graeme Swann
Mitchell Johnson
Dale Steyn
Mohammed Asif