Greatest Test XI of the 2000’s

1. Matthew Hayden (Australia) – The left-hander was a domineering presence at the top of the order, combining with Justin Langer to produce the most prolific opening partnership of the decade. Although sometimes criticised as a “flat-track bully”, his record speaks for itself, particularly in India where he scored 1888 runs at 59.
2. Virender Sehwag (India) – Defying logic and conventional technique, Sehwag scored boundaries as if they were a constituent part of his life force: his career strike-rate of 82 is the highest among all batsmen with more than 2000 Test runs. It is not as if his approach restricted his ability to score copious amounts of runs, as illustrated by his two Test triple-hundreds.
3. Ricky Ponting (Australia) (captain) – As probably the most distinguished batsman of the decade, Ponting will lead both the batting order from first drop and the team as captain. His record is remarkably consistent with batting averages of at least forty against all opposition.
4. Sachin Tendulkar (India) – A near-deity in the gaze of the Indian population, Tendulkar scored his runs with a subtle imperiousness which led to comparisons with Don Bradman – even Ponting said that he was the greatest after the Don.
5. Brian Lara (West Indies) – Lara, most well-known outside of cricketing circles for his record Test innings of 400, had the ability to take possession of a match with a boundary-laden innings. Against the dominant Australians, he produced some of his top performances with 9 centuries in 31 matches.
6. Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – Apart from the ultra-talented Garry Sobers, Jacques Kallis is perhaps the only other Test all-rounder with a near-infallible record: he averaged fifty with the bat and thirty with the ball in an extensive career. Although he didn’t dominate the headlines with spectacular performances, he is widely considered a giant of the modern game.
7. Adam Gilchrist (Australia) (wicket-keeper) – Revolutionising the role of the Test wicket-keeper, Gilchrist was one of the best batsmen in the world and he did this all from the number seven position. His natural game, summarised as “see ball, hit ball”, produced 17 hundreds in a 96-match career.
8. Shaun Pollock (South Africa) – A resourceful lower-order batsman and incredibly persistent seam bowler, Pollock is a constant in any list of the top Test cricketers of the 2000’s. With a batting average of 32.31 and bowling average of 23.11, his statistics eclipsed that of the great all-rounders of the 1980’s, but, like Kallis, is not spoken of in the same breath.
9. Shane Warne (Australia) – Reconstructing his game after consistent issues with his shoulder and time out of the game due to his infamous diuretic situation, Warne managed to take wickets at a prolific rate again in the 2000s. His ability to out-think the opposition batsmen more than made up for the loss of his variations such as the flipper.
10. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – Partnering Warne in the most deadly spin combination that history will never see, Murali and his 800 Test wickets was certain to be in such a side. With only Chaminda Vaas providing him adequate bowling support, Murali took it upon himself to win many a match for Sri Lanka
11. Glenn McGrath (Australia) – Accurate beyond belief, McGrath’s game plan is sometimes oversimplified by casual spectators. Although it is indeed true that it was centred on a nagging line and length, he had a very astute cricketing intelligence to back it up: the fact that he remembers all of his 563 Test wickets speaks to a savant-like bowling mind.