ICF ALL time Test XI: India

[bunny]

Sehwag Gavaskar Dravid Tendulkar Hazare Amarnath Kapil Kirmani Chandra Srinath Zaheer Khan

[Rajiv]

Gavaskar Gambhir Sehwag Dravid Tendulkar Dhoni Kapil Dev* Bedi Kumble Srinath Zaheer Khan

[OriginalCopy]

S. Gavaskar V. Sehwag R. Dravid S. Tendulkar V.V.S. Laxman Kapil Dev M.S. Dhoni*+ A. Kumble J. Srinath B.S. Bedi B. Chandrasekhar

[Sooda]

Gavaskar Gambhir Sehwag Dravid Tendulkar Dhoni Kapil Dev* Bedi Kumble Srinath Zaheer Khan

Gambhir? Interesting. You think he's done enough to merit a spot in the first XI. Some big names he's keeping out. Not to mention pushing SRT (should him and Dravid swap places?) and Sehwag down a spot. And Kapil skipper? Not Sunny?

[Lord]

Sehwag Gavaskar RD SRT VVS Kapil Dhoni Kumble Bhajji Srinath Zak

[DomainK]

Can we go step by step instead of the entire team altogether? I wonder what kind of a opening pair Sunny and Viru would make. One super slow player who believes in defense and the other super fast player who believes in attack. One gives a lot of respect to quality bowling, the only thing the other can give the bowler is the finger. Will Gavaskar choke a Sehwag into playing a wrong shot by hogging strike and scoring too slow? Will Sehwag break Sunny's rhythm with his extravagant strokeplay? Will Gambhir do a better job? Will Sunny's old partner Chauhan the man for the job? What about Sidhu who opened in 45 matches at an average of 42 with 8 centuries? I have a feeling that Gambhir will make a better partner for Sunny than Sehwag.

[Sooda]

Maybe Gavaskar will adapt so he is a better accumulator, rather than purely defesnive... allow Sehwag the strike more. Thats where the coach (Wright...?) comes in...defining player roles etc:--D Maybe the way to do this is a sticky thread and a poll with the contenders for each spot- different positions of the team every two weeks (say) as Cricinfo are doing. And everyone can express who and why in the thread.

[DomainK]

Maybe Gavaskar will adapt so he is a better accumulator, rather than purely defesnive... allow Sehwag the strike more. Thats where the coach (Wright...?) comes in...defining player roles etc:--D Maybe the way to do this is a sticky thread and a poll with the contenders for each spot- different positions of the team every two weeks (say) as Cricinfo are doing. And everyone can express who and why in the thread.

Good idea. But the problem with polling is that everyone will vote first and debate next. We should have a voting after an extensive debate.

[urbestfriend]

Can we go step by step instead of the entire team altogether? I wonder what kind of a opening pair Sunny and Viru would make. One super slow player who believes in defense and the other super fast player who believes in attack. One gives a lot of respect to quality bowling, the only thing the other can give the bowler is the finger. Will Gavaskar choke a Sehwag into playing a wrong shot by hogging strike and scoring too slow? Will Sehwag break Sunny's rhythm with his extravagant strokeplay? Will Gambhir do a better job? Will Sunny's old partner Chauhan the man for the job? What about Sidhu who opened in 45 matches at an average of 42 with 8 centuries? I have a feeling that Gambhir will make a better partner for Sunny than Sehwag.

These are hypothetical questions which doesn't have any concrete answers. Our job is to select all-time XI for each position from the best of the cricketers, not debate on hypothetical scenarios which cannot have deterministic answers.

[dr_tooley]

All Time Team India Sehwag Gavaskar Dravid Tendulkar Azharuddin Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi(Capt) Dhoni (Wkt) Kapil Dev Zaheer Khan Bedi Harbhajan 12th Man Gundappa Viswanath

[Block hole]

Sehwag Gavaskar Dravid Tendulkar Azharuddin Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi(Capt) Dhoni (Wkt) Kapil Dev Zaheer Khan Bedi Harbhajan 12th Man Gundappa Viswanath

I would go with Kumble instead of Bedi . And Saurav Ganguly in place of Azhar .

[coffee_rules]

Harbhajan -> Kumble, Chandra, Prasanna Zaheer -> Srinath Gundappa would refuse to carry drinks. Replace him with S Badrinath.

[Andy]

Sehwag Gavaskar Dravid Tendulkar Azharuddin Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi(Capt) Dhoni (Wkt) Kapil Dev Zaheer Khan Bedi Harbhajan 12th Man Gundappa Viswanath

Azhar out Ganguly/VVS in!! Bhajji out Kumble in!! Its very difficult to choose between Zaheer and Srinath!! If its a flat track i wud go wid Zak due to his ability to reverse swing the ball and If its a green track i wud go with Javagal coz Zak's new ball bowling isnt too impressive these days!!

[jf1gp_1]

Please please someone make this a sticky

[dr_tooley]

Amended Sehwag Gavaskar Dravid Tendulkar Azharuddin Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi(Capt) Dhoni (Wkt) Kapil Dev Zaheer Khan (Would take Zaheer over Srinath as he's a more consistant wicket taker.) Bedi Kumble (instead of Harbhajan) 12th Man Gundappa Viswanath

[dr_tooley]

I would go with Kumble instead of Bedi . And Saurav Ganguly in place of Azhar .

I genuinely think Azhar was a better player. Ganguly had real problems against pace and VVS against anyone that wasn't Australia. Azhar was a much more complete player as comfortable against spin as pace and much much more attractive to watch.

[Block hole]

I genuinely think Azhar was a better player. Ganguly had real problems against pace and VVS against anyone that wasn't Australia. Azhar was a much more complete player as comfortable against spin as pace and much much more attractive to watch.

Nobody can play test cricket for 12 year's if he got problem facing pace bowlers . Any batsman would struggle against good fast bowling . But that's not a weakness to be honest . And nothing is more attractive than Ganguly playing coverdrive or going for maximum over long-on .

[dr_tooley]

Nobody can play test cricket for 12 year's if he got problem facing pace bowlers . Any batsman would struggle against good fast bowling . But that's not a weakness to be honest . And nothing is more attractive than Ganguly playing coverdrive or going for maximum over long-on .

Even Ganguly would admit he had problems on fast tracts. He has one of the all time masters on worn/cracking up pitches. And he did develop a technique - very awkward looking but effective against fast bowling. This contrasts with Azhar who no major problems against even that great WI attack. Ganguly was a world class player for the majority of his career. But unfortunately in a country that has produced so many world class batsman, his obvious weakness means he fails to get in.

[Andy]

I genuinely think Azhar was a better player. Ganguly had real problems against pace and VVS against anyone that wasn't Australia. Azhar was a much more complete player as comfortable against spin as pace and much much more attractive to watch.

Well i havent folowed much of Azhar, But Crapinfo says he was suspect agnst short stuff too!!:--D

[Andy]

Even Ganguly would admit he had problems on fast tracts. He has one of the all time masters on worn/cracking up pitches. And he did develop a technique - very awkward looking but effective against fast bowling. This contrasts with Azhar who no major problems against even that great WI attack. Ganguly was a world class player for the majority of his career. But unfortunately in a country that has produced so many world class batsman, his obvious weakness means he fails to get in.

I dont agree dat he had prblem on fast tracks, not just me hundreds in Aus, SA, England, seems to differ with ur statement!! Yes he had prblems wid short stuffs, But dat was at times!! I dont agree he cudnt play fast bowling or on fast tracks!!