We have entered into a new decade of cricket; it would be remiss if we did not reflect on the last ten years and pick a Test Team of the Decade. Australia used to be the number one test team in the world but their dominance in the test arena was challenged as India showed that they could win home and away.
We look at the top test players who would automatically make their way into a playing XI for the ‘Test Team of the Decade’.
Test Team Of The Decade
Top Order
David Warner: The dashing Australian opener lost one year of test cricket due to his ball-tampering suspension but there is no getting away from the fact that Warner is one of the best test openers in the world. He has an average of 48.58 and is known for scoring at a brisk rat at the top of the order.
Alistair Cook: retired from international cricket but established himself as a rock at the top of the order for England, especially during the first half of the last decade. The former England captain has over 8,800 test runs and finished with an average of 46.41.
Kane Williamson: the New Zealand captain takes the key number three position as he has been the best batsmen for the Kiwis during the last decade and has an impressive average of over 52 and 6,322 test runs to his name.
Virat Kohli: arguably the best batsmen in the world in all formats of the game, the number 4 position automatically goes to Kohli. The Indian captain has scored over 7,200 runs and has an average of 54.97.
Middle Order
Steve Smith: like Warner, Smith was also suspended for one year due to his role in the ball tampering incident in South Africa. He is the most prolific batsman in test cricket and has the highest average of 63.75 amongst all the players and has scored over 7000 runs.
AB De Villiers: used to bat at number 4 when he played for South Africa. However, we slotted him in as a wicket-keeper batsman in the Adam Gilchrist mode as he used to keep or the Proteas in his early cricketing career.
Ben Stokes: is the first choice for test all-rounder as he has proven time and time again that he can play a match winning knock or take crucial wickets when required to influence the outcome of the game. Stokes has scored over 3,700 runs in test cricket at an average of close to 36 and taken 137 wickets at an average of 33.45.
Lower Order
R Ashwin: is the number one off-spinner in the world and automatically makes his way into the test with a bowling average of 25.36 and 362 wickets to his name. Ashwin is also a decent lower order batsman and reduces the tail.
James Anderson: is a bowling machine who has served England very well over the last decade. He has 427 wickets to his name at an average of 24.19.
Dale Steyn: was one of the most feared fast bowlers of the last decade and he bowled with pace and hostility. Steyn has 267 wickets to his name at an average of 22.29.
Rangana Herath: A test team should have a leg spinner but after Shane Warne, no leg spinner impressed enough during the last decade to make it to the team. We decided to go with Sri Lanka’s left arm spinner R Herath who is deadly in subcontinent conditions. He has over 360 wickets to his name at an average of 26.41. Herath also has the most 5 wickets haul over the last decade.
