USA's Saurabh Netravalkar picks his all-time Test XI, includes two Indians [Exclusive]

USA’s star pacer Saurabh Netravalkar recently shared his all-time Test XI, showing his respect for red-ball cricket despite the USA being an Associate nation that does not play Tests. Raised in Mumbai, Netravalkar came through India’s Under-19 setup, starred in the Cooch Behar Trophy, and represented India at the 2010 U19 World Cup before featuring in Ranji Trophy cricket.

Due to immense competition in Mumbai, he went on to pursue higher studies in the US, where he began his cricketing career. He grabbed global attention during the T20 World Cup 2024, memorably scripting the USA’s Super Over win against Pakistan, and is now all set to represent the USA again at the T20 World Cup 2026.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with CricTracker, the left-arm seamer picked his all-time Test XI, selecting players he felt made a lasting impact on the longest format. He opted for Matthew Hayden and Virender Sehwag as his opening pair, citing their aggressive approach at the top of the order. Both batters played a crucial role in changing the approach of red-ball cricket with their aggressive batting.

At number three, Netravalkar chose West Indies legend Brian Lara. Regarded as one of the finest batters of his generation, the southpaw still holds the record for the highest individual score in Test cricket, having amassed an unbeaten 400.

The middle order featured Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis at numbers four and five, forming a formidable middle-order. Tendulkar, known as the ‘God of Cricket’, finished his Test career with 51 centuries and 15,921 runs. Meanwhile, Kallis is widely regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders the game has seen. Ricky Ponting was named the captain of the team, with the former Australia skipper having led his team in 77 Tests and guided them to 48 victories during a golden era. For the wicketkeeper’s role, the Mumbai-born pacer went with another Australian great, Adam Gilchrist.

In the bowling department, Netravalkar selected Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Glenn McGrath, and Dale Steyn, with Warne being the lone spinner. Akram was renowned for his ability to swing the ball at pace and deliver yorkers, finishing his Test career with 414 wickets. McGrath, who was another pacer in the XI, is the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket with 563 scalps. Steyn, one of the fastest and most feared pacers of his era, often gave South Africa the upper hand in red-ball contests with his match-winning spells. Rounding off the attack was the late Shane Warne, widely regarded as one of the greatest spinners in cricket history, who ended his illustrious Test career with a record 708 wickets.

Saurabh Netravalkar's all-time Test XI:

Matthew Hayden, Virender Sehwag, Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting (c), Adam Gilchrist (wk), Shane Warne, Dale Steyn, Glenn McGrath, Wasim Akram