.jpg)
5 hours ago
2
The Indian Test side huffed and puffed their way to the rare away series wins despite dominating at home in the 20th century. Yet, in a rather unforeseen turn of events at the start of the 21st century came belief, skill level, and defiance in Team India and its players.
Things have trended north in red-ball cricket by the year ever since to the point where overseas wins have now become routine instead of an aberration. The Asian giants have won Test series in England, West Indies, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Australia, among others, since 2000.
Several Indian players have also captured the imagination of the global audiences with bat and ball in Test cricket over the past 25 years. India's pace battery has hit an all-time high over the past decade, resulting in the side becoming the world-beater in the long format.
As India look to reassert their dominance in Tests in the ongoing England series after the recent slide, we pay tribute to the legendary players by picking the greatest Indian Test XI from the 21st century.
India's greatest Test XI of the 21st century
Openers: Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir
One of the most transformative openers in Test history, Virender Sehwag, is undoubtedly the first name of this Indian XI. The right-hander was instrumental in India's dominance at home, with his quickfire knocks that demoralized opposition teams.
Sehwag debuted in 2001 and was at the forefront of India's resurgence in Tests, scoring 8,503 runs at an average of 49.43, including 23 centuries and a remarkable two triple-centuries.
Sehwag's opening partner in this XI, Gautam Gambhir, is someone he formed an excellent partnership with at the top of the order in the second half of the 2000s. The left-hander complimented Sehwag's aggression to perfection with a more defiant batting style.
Gambhir debuted in Tests in 2004 and scored 4,154 runs at an average of 41.95, including nine centuries in 58 outings. He played a massive role in India becoming the No.1 ranked Test side under MS Dhoni.
Middle Order: Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli
India's greatest middle-order batters over the last 25 years will rival any other cricketing nation's middle-order in this period.
In Rahul Dravid, India had arguably the most consistent and reliable batter of the generation. Despite debuting in Tests in the 1990s, Dravid became a household name with his incredible run in the 2000s.
The right-hander is India's leading run-scorer in Tests post 2000 with 9,943 runs at an average of 52.33, including 28 centuries, in 123 matches. Following him at No.4 is the Little Master Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 9,505 runs with 27 tons in 121 Tests in the 21st century.
It speaks to Tendulkar's all-time greatness that the start of the 21st century was his 12th year in Test cricket.
Tendulkar's successor, Virat Kohli, comes in at No.5, having debuted for India in the red-ball format in 2011 and only recently retired. Apart from being India's most successful Test captain, Kohli also finished as their third leading run-scorer this century with 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries in 123 games.
Wicketkeeper and All-rounders : Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin
Selecting the best Indian wicketkeeper in the 2000s between MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant would be like choosing between right and left eye. Yet, the latter's consistency and ability to deliver three-figure scores in away conditions earns him the nod over his predecessor.
Pant is already India's all-time leading centurion among designated wicketkeepers with eight. The southpaw has scored 3,200 runs in 44 Tests at a stellar average of 44.44.
Following Pant will be the two spin-bowling all-rounders to balance the XI, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin. The duo fought off stiff competition from Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, thanks to their batting exploits.
Jadeja is India's fourth leading wicket-taker in the 21st century with 324 scalps at an average of 24.59, including 15 five-wicket hauls in 81 matches. The 36-year-old has also amassed 3,406 runs at an average of almost 35 with four centuries, making him the perfect No.7.
Jadeja's long-time spin-bowling partner, Ashwin, comes in at No.8, with his ability to pick up wickets for fun. The Tamil Nadu off-spinner is India's leading wicket-taker since 2000 with 537 scalps at an average of 24, including an Indian record 37 five-wicket hauls in 106 Tests.
In addition, Ashwin has also scored 3,503 runs at an average of 25.75, including six centuries.
Bowlers: Zaheer Khan, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah
The three best Indian pacers since 2000, Zaheer Khan, Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah, will complete the bowling attack. Zaheer debuted for India just before the start of the 21st century but played almost all his games after 2000.
The left-arm pacer picked up 306 wickets at an average of 32.84 in 90 Tests this century. Zaheer overcame competition from Ishant Sharma, who boasts similar numbers, thanks to his left-arm angle that adds variety to the side.
Meanwhile, Shami has 229 wickets to his name in 64 Tests at an average of 27.71. His contemporary, Bumrah, has been breaking records at will in the red-ball format, with 210 wickets at an average of under 20, including 14 five-wicket hauls, in only 46 outings.
Team India's greatest Test XI of the 21st century
Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah
Why did you not like this content?
- Clickbait / Misleading
- Factually Incorrect
- Hateful or Abusive
- Baseless Opinion
- Too Many Ads
- Other
Was this article helpful?
Thank You for feedback
About the author
Follow IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates, News & Biddings at Sportskeeda. Get the fastest updates on Mega-Auction and cricket news
Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
English (US)