Test XI of the decade
Openers – Sir Alastair Cook and David Warner
- With standout numbers over the decade – 23 hundreds apiece and 67 fifties combined – the two left-handers accounted for nearly 16000 Test runs and stood above other worthy competitors for these two slots.
Middle Order – Kumar Sangakkara, Steve Smith, Virat Kohli
- The three batsmen with outstanding records make the final cut. Until his retirement in 2015, Sangakkara averaged 60.34, including a triple hundred, Steve Smith’s Bradmanesque turn saw him average even more than Sangakkara at 62.84 while Virat Kohli’s 27 hundreds remained unparalleled over the decade.
Wicket-keeper: AB de Villiers
- His record as a batsman in the 23 games that he donned gloves is simply stunning. Hitting 7 hundreds & an average of 59.5, the numbers are simply too hard to ignore.
Spinners: R Ashwin and Rangana Herath
- 57 five-wicket hauls & sixteen 10-wicket hauls between these two in the 2010s. They led their respective teams’ spin attack splendidly, particularly in the subcontinent making them near-automatic choices.
Pacers: Dale Steyn, James Anderson and Morne Morkel
- Dale Steyn, with 15 five-wicket hauls and a strike-rate of 43.93, and James Anderson who has more wickets (429) than anyone else are a cut above the rest. Morne Morkel, an underrated member of the fast bowling community, has a balanced home and away record while also complements the other two with his brand of fast bowling.
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