CricTracker's Dream Test XI featuring current cricketers

It’s 2017 and it is the era of fastrack cricket. On the road, the honking never stops, no one likes the patience game. On the field, it’s a ‘you miss and I hit’ kind of play that catches the attention of the masses. But the traditional form of the game has not taken a beating. In fact, Test match cricket in recent times has thrown up some outstanding cricketers and many unfaded moments to cherish for ages. Today, we slip into the world of fantasies. We pick some of your idols, plenty of modern greats of the game who have carved a niche for themselves. A bit of brainstorming, permutations and combinations and we are here with the Dream XI of the best Test players from the current era. 1. David Warner (Australia) David Warner of Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) One of the most fearsome batsmen in modern cricket, New South Wales-born David Warner is the ideal opener you wish to send out at the start of the proceedings. A career average of close to 48 in Tests, along with 44 fifty-plus scores in 66 matches tells you how much he enjoys this format of the game. Even though his record away from home doesn’t do justice to his brilliance (2209 runs from 31 Tests at an average of 36.81), his recent outing in Bangladesh, where he piled up 251 runs in 2 Tests at an average of 62.75 promises a good run in the coming days. 2. Hashim Amla (South Africa) Hashim Amla of the Proteas. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images) South Africa’s Hashim Amla brings a sea of calmness to the crease and goes about his business without any fuss. With 109 Tests, 8578 runs and 28 tons to his name, the 34-year-old has lifted the Proteas unit to historic feats on numerous occasions. He likes batting at No.3, a slot where he enjoys a staggering average of 53.59 but his application and ability to see off the red leather gives him an edge over the others. He gets a nod ahead of England’s Alastair Cook and his ability to adapt to conditions won’t end in disappointment. 3. Cheteshwar Pujara (India) Cheteshwar Pujara of India. (Photo Source: Twitter) He is not your Subway take away but the seasoned Kadi-chawal which keeps you on the go. Batting for long periods gives him the kick, Cheteshwar Pujara has scored more than 4000 runs from 52 Test matches. He drives through the vacant areas and keeps the ball in the grass. He plays the moving delivery close to his body and has developed a scoring pattern, hitting in the narrow V. He has scored three triple hundreds in domestic cricket and is gunning for his first at the international level. When the side finds itself at 0/1, you know whom to look at. 4. Steve Smith (Australia) Steve Smith of Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) The Australian skipper can pull the pacers and dance down the wicket to send the off-breaks to the top tiers. Steve Smith can craft his innings well and set the tempo straight away. His Test average reads 59.66 after facing 9445 balls. The 28-year-old’s athleticism makes him a prized asset in this team. He doesn’t bowl much nowadays, but he can also fill in for the role of the leg-spinner, which is an added advantage. He is at the No.4 in our XI. 5. Virat Kohli (India) – Captain Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: Twitter) He is the leader of the pack. Someone rightly said that he scores hundreds for breakfast. India’s Virat Kohli recently brought up his 18th Test hundred and reached the magical figure of 50 international centuries. The right-hand batsman is unflappable against spin and he has been sort of a nightmare for pacers as well. He is animated and wears the heart on his sleeves. His hunger for runs is what sets him apart from the rest. He makes you believe in the saying that it is not the talent but the obsession that makes you achieve your goals. The year 2017 has been a prolific year for the cricketer, as he has gone past 2000 run-mark in each of the formats of the game. 6. Joe Root (England) Joe Root of England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) Just like most of the successful batsmen around, Joe Root puts a price on his wicket. He has played 60 Test matches for England so far, scoring 5323 runs at an average of 53.76. He has a calm and matured head on his shoulders and is currently leading England‘s title defense at the Ashes. Root may take some time to get going, but with the top 4 batters likely to do the scoring at a good pace, Paujara and Root can focus on capitalizing on the start. He is the deputy of this XI and as seen often, pressure doesn’t really get the better of him. 7. Quinton de Kock (South Africa) – wicketkeeper South Africa’s Quinton de Kock. (Photo by Simon Cooper/PA Images via Getty Images) There is no point going for a part-time wicketkeeper to give a cushion to the batting line-up when you have a proper gloveman in Quinton de Kock. In 25 Tests, the promising Proteas batter has scored more than 1550 runs at a solid average of 44.40. He was once a baseball player and he can surely send the bowlers for the leather hunt if required. Coming at No.7, the left-handed batsman can go for the kill from the very beginning, and his clinical work behind the stumps adds to his value. 8. Moeen Ali (England) Moeen Ali of England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) England’s Moeen Ali gives plenty of options to a side. He can get into a side as a pure batsman and it won’t be a goof-up to bank on him from a bowling perspective. The all-rounder provides the perfect balance to a side. He has scored 2288 runs and has picked up 128 wickets from 44 Tests. He can score those vital cameos towards the end of the innings and also has the ability to hang around to salvage a draw in the hour of need. Moeen is the last recognised batsman in this XI. 9. Ravichandran Ashwin (India) Ravichandran Ashwin. (Photo Source: Twitter) Tamil Nadu-born Ravichandran Ashwin is a bowling all-rounder. He has bagged 44 wickets in the nine Test matches in which he has featured for India this year. He is yet to prove his credentials away from home, as he averages a not so impressive 31.75 in 20 matches. At home, Ashwin’s records look a class apart. He has tangled the best of the batters with his variations. In 33 Tests, Ashwin has picked up 208 wickets at an average of 22.70. He has 20 five-fors and five Man of the Series titles to his name. 10. Kagiso Rabada (South Africa) Kagiso Rabada of the Proteas. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images) It was a tough call to make between Proteas paceman Kagiso Rabada and Pakistan’s Wahab Riaz. Riaz’s ability to hit the deck hard and put his body on the line for his team every single time is an impressive fact. But the presence of a left-arm fast bowler in the squad rolled the dice in Rabada’s favour. From making a statement in the U19 level, Rabada made a quick move through the grades. The fact that makes Rabada stand out among his peers is that he has done well outside Africa. Out of a tally of 102 wickets from 22 Test matches, The pacer has scalped 41 of them away from home. 11. Mitchell Starc (Australia) Mitchell Starc of Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images) Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc is hard to deal with when he is fit. He has recently bagged two hat-tricks in each innings of a domestic match, and he does justice to the benchmark that has been set by the fast bowlers of the past. The 27-year-old has 148 wickets from 36 Test matches. He stares at the batsman like no other and has a lethal yorker to his credit. With the new ball, Starc can do wonders and he will walk into any XI, courtesy the reputation he has built for himself.

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CricTracker's Dream Test XI featuring current cricketers

We pick some of your idols, plenty of modern greats of the game who have carved a niche for themselves.

9. Ravichandran Ashwin (India)

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