Cheteshwar Pujara is one of the finest Test talents in world cricket. The Saurashtra batsman has become renowned all over the world for his batting skills in the longest format of the game. Many have even compared him to the great Rahul Dravid.
Pujara recently revealed his ‘World Test XI’, and it included a few surprises. Without further ado, let’s take a look at his choices.
#1 Openers: David Warner and Kane Williamson
Kane Williamson and David Warner are two of the best batsmen in the world. They both have shown exceptional adaptability, and change their style according to the format. They would be excellent picks to give the team a great base to build on.
Warner and Kane have complimentary styles and have cracking chemistry as witnessed in the IPL. They play together for the SRH franchise in the Indian Premier League.
#2 Middle-order: Pujara, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, BJ Watling (wk)
Cheteshwar Pujara selected a formidable middle order. Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, and Pujara himself will comprise of a batting unit which would make any bowler quiver in their shoes.
BJ Watling is one of the biggest revelations from New Zealand and would be an excellent addition to what is already an incredible batting unit. These batsmen are one of the elite players in Test cricket and would make the life of the bowler extremely tough.
#3 All-rounder: Ben Stokes
Is there anyone else who could take this spot? Ben Stokes has cemented himself as the best all-rounder in the world. He has been a match-winning player for England on many occasions, notable the Headingly Test match in the most recent Ashes Test series. Stokes is an MVP candidate, and an excellent pick by Pujara.
#4 Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, R Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Pat Cummins
Jasprit Bumrah has been India’s lead fast bowler for some time now. The talented youngster bowls constantly over 140 KMPH with frightening accuracy. Pat Cummins was a surprise revelation for Australia last year. He has swiftly established himself as one of the best in the business. Kagiso Rabada, the talented South African is already making waves since his debut.
Ravichandran Ashwin was the only spinner picked by Cheteshwar Pujara in the playing XI. Ashwin performs mostly in the role of a Test spinner now and would be a great addition to the team. Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammad Shami were picked as the 12th and 13th man respectively.
