International Dream Team (Tests)

Long back, I had written about my dream team. It was more of Indian team with all the so-called stalwarts in the team. Obviously, the world cricket is far bigger than Indian scene & there have been many wonderful players across the generations who have represented their respective countries & had an illustrious career. So, today I thought of having an international dream team comprising of the ones I know, have seen, have read about. Obviously, being an Indian & having seen many Indian players having a great career, I might be biased to Indian players. Mind you, the list is only for Test matches.

I can't really chose the best 11, so have chosen a team of 18. Just be patient with a long blog.

Coming straight to the point, here we go...

Openers:
1) Sunil Gavaskar: How-much-ever one would argue with all splendid names, no better name comes to my mind apart from Sunil Gavaskar, or Sunny as he was fondly called. He was short in height; being an opener he would be facing tall, fast bowlers more than others, his height would give him an advantage with the new ball bouncing around, he could either duck or leave or pull/hook when ball is pitched short. If the ball is pitched up, he could comfortably drive it around. His technique was unquestionable, patience unparalleled. Scoring centuries against the mighty Windies bowlers in their own den is a large stamp on his technique, not to forget, without a helmet. He rotated strike well, brilliant judge of the available runs.

2) Matthew Hayden: He's a left-hander, with a brilliant technique, ability to switch gears at will and ability to hit hard, through the line. He was everything a fearless batsman should be & a great opener for Australia.
Alternative: Virender Sehwag. An Indian again. But I don't really think I could drop his name. He's the one who changed the opening batsman's definition upside down, especially in tests. His footwork was always questioned, but his ability to 'terrorize' the opposition teams was unquestionable. If you don't get him early, you simply hope he gets bored of kicking you. My first choice as second opener would be Hayden for any condition, though.

Middle Order:
3) Sir Donald Bradman: The No.3 position has never had a more glorified & better owner. Believe me, I have seen his videos & he was not the best technician out there. There have been better, glamorous & elegant batsmen before & after Sir Don. But the impact he created, was much much higher than our own Sehwag. He was the 'real terror' when it came to batting. See his photos & you would never even in your wildest dream think people would ever get terrified by him. Small, slim Don. But when we had bat in his hands, he more than justified his career batting average of 99.94 on uncovered pitches with no protective gear other than gloves & pads & probably the mid-guard. Simply no parallel.

4) Sachin Tendulkar: How can I ever miss this name on 'any' dream team list? The best No. 4 ever. Period. Records, statistics speak for themselves. But still, if I have to say more, I would say the ability to dominate the proceedings, to manipulate the opposition field settings & make them bowl to his plans rather than theirs and ofcourse all those gorgeous shots. However, if I ever wanted to keep the glamour out & bring in a more terrifying batsman, then there is an alternative, whom Tendulkar chose as one of his idols.
Alternative: Sir Vivian Richards. Obviously, heart can't forgive me to choose Viv as an alternative to Tendulkar, but then such is the aura of Tendulkar. Coming to the point, Viv was the typical Caribbean batsman, full of raw power, strong built, ofcourse not to forget often-overlooked brilliant technique. His power-shots could only be stopped by the boundary-line.

5) Jacques Kallis: Most people of my generation would agree, Kallis has been one of the best all-rounders the game has ever seen. A batting all-rounder. He was brilliant as a batsman, equally effective as a fast bowler. He gives you runs in any situation, gives you wickets in most situations. Who wants more? For me, simply the best all-rounder I have ever seen. Believe me, I have seen many; Kapil Dev, Sir Ian Botham, Sir Garfield Sobers (videos, books), Andrew Flintoff, to name a few.
Alternative: Sir Garfield Sobers. Another Caribbeann in my team, arguably called best all-rounder ever. A brilliant, aggressive left-hander, wonderful bowler. His left-hand is the reason I am chosing him here ahead of others.

6) Vangipurappu Venkat Sai Laxman: Surprised? Me too. I couldn't really think of any other name who fit in here. But, I am not a stupid patriot. The reason I chose him here is I want a batsman who could fit in the role of steadying the innings, if others fall ahead of him. He was a brilliant stroke-player but somehow also had the ability to defend, nudge the ball around, play along with the tail often. And then there is the 280 he played in Kolkata in 2001 against the mighty Aussies. That one innings changed the Indian cricket forever. (Yes, you heard me right. Being a Tendulkar devotee doesn't mean I undermine others.)
Alternative: Mohammed Azharuddin. Another Hyderabadi. Another wristy player. Someone who can score 3 centuries on debut can certainly bat. He was a treat to watch often when in full flow. And a brilliant fielder. More importantly, I can't really think of many international No. 6 who could be better than these 2. Probably a Shivnaraine Fevicol (oops, Chanderpaul) or a Steve Waugh who was the toughest to get out when Aussie team needed him or the often under-rated Carl Hooper.

7) Adam Gilchrist: There have been many keepers who had better technique than Gilchrist. Some would argue Dhoni was a overall better keeper as he was devastating batsman. But, Gilchrist was equally devastating with added advantage of being a left-hander. Keeping wickets to Shane Warne is by no means easy. So his wicket-keeping skills have not been bad. He was always in the top-gear, but not a easy batsman to get out.
Alternative: Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Yes, I never liked him as a batsman, neither his keeping technique awed me. But, he was a extremely smart keeper. His ability to swiftly take-off bails, his ability to get batsman out by smartly effecting run-outs, and ofcourse his legendary hard-hitting warrants a second-look. Like I said, there have been better keepers. But rarely anyone has been a better keeper-batsman. Choosing, Gilchrist over Dhoni mainly as he was a left-hand. That leaves Dhoni as an alternative.

8) Shane Warne: Needed a spinner, preferably a leg-spinner. Who better than the Wizard of the Oz (Aus)? He could literally spin off a glass if he had to. Had a clean action, ability to spin a web around the batsmen & trap him. 700+ wickets is a testimony to his skills. If only he could bat better.
Alternative: Anil Kumble. Indian again, I am turning hugely biased towards India. He was not a great turner of the cricket ball. Probably the famous leg-cutters of Venkatesh Prasad turned more than Kumble's leg-spin. But he was a terrific fighter. His ability to use the bounce of the pitch, cracks on the pitch & ability to run-through the tail gives him a edge over other leg-spinners (barring Warne). Moreover, he was a reliable night-watchman. Scoring a century in England at Oval when others relatively failed was a terrific achievement.

9) Mutthiah Muralitharan: Huge temptation to get him on board. Not because of his records or intimidating style of bowling, but mainly because of his ability to turn the ball on any surface, to get 5-for in almost every match and advantage of being an off-spinner. The golden spin trio of India has always been more than capable enough to walk into any team which wants spinner(s). But he was simply brilliant in his art. If only he could bat better.
Alternative: Any one of the golden spin trio. But preferably a off-spinner (with Warne on-board as a leg-spinner already). So, most probably Erapalli Prasanna it is.

10) Wasim Akram: Huge fan & the only Pakistani national I have ever admired in my whole life. In-fact, so big fan I am of his that I converted myself from a left-arm spinner to left-arm medium-pacer (can't call myself a pacer now, I would run faster than I can bowl). I used to imitate his action. To me, he is the best left-arm bowler ever played the game. Period. And the fact that he was good at bat; he has a double century to his name against Zimbabwe & owned a record of 12 sixes in that innings. No alternatives.

11) Glenn McGrath: I am tempted to select my another favorite, Kapil Dev (India's best all-rounder yet). But brain overpowers heart in this case. McGrath was the best bowler of our generation & probably a few generations earlier & later. The most complete bowler & very very accurate. He made batsmen offer their wickets with his control.
Alternative: Kapil Dev. His mastery over swing & that lil funny action (his leap & tilted head) and ofcourse he had quite a speed. If you ever want to object to my choice, there are few other names; Michael Holding, Allan Donald, Malcolm Marshall, Bret Lee.

The coveted position of captain is something which will divide opinions. With my first preference set of players, I would want the team to be captained by Sunil Gavaskar. If Dhoni plays, I could pass on the captaincy to him simply because of his street-smart nature of play & his understanding of the game & the players. After all he gave us two world cups (ODI & T20). But, if Steve Waugh is picked for No.6 no better captain than him.

There are many many names who have not been picked despite there far more illustrous careers. But I feel, ofcourse being my blog I can have my own opinions, most of my choices have been expert in their respective numbers & at some stage if you pick someone, you obviously leave someone else. The other players that I absolutely respect are:
Brian Lara: If only he could squeeze between the heavy weights in the top-order.
Rahul Dravid: India's best No. 3, but sadly with Bradman in team, Dravid simply has no chance.
Chris Gayle: Absolutely great devastating opener; holder of 2 triple centuries; but I personally feel he is not suited for Test.
David Gover: Extremely beautiful elegant to watch, plus an left-hander from England; but he was mainly a No.4, and with Tendulkar & Richards for competition, he can't really stand a chance.
Vinod Kambli: Hugely talented (what a waste though), left-handed Tendulkar, my personal favorite, extremely dangerous in full-flow.
Joel Garner: With his 7+ feet height, high-arm action you don't find more intimidating fast bowler, plus he has one of the most economical bowling averages.
Any many more. Alas, a team can only have 11 players & maximum of 6-7 reserves.