Greatest Test XI

Pick your greatest Test XI. Any era and any country is allowed. Here's mine:

1. Len Hutton
2. Sunil Gavaskar
3. Don Bradman
4. Brian Lara
5. Sachin Tendulkar
6. Sir Garfield Sobers
7. Adam Gilchrist
8. Shane Warne
9. Fred Trueman
10. Curtley Ambrose
11. Glenn McGrath

I am not convinced that it's absolutely the best side ever - but I think it would be stronger than any other eleven that wasn't allowed to pick any of these players. Mainly because all the players are world class and Bradman and Sobers are the best batsman and all rounder ever.

I would have Muralitharan for Ambrose as Ambrose is a similar bowler to McGrath.

I would have Viv Richards, Wasim Akran and Kapil Dev instead of Hutton, Trueman and Ambrose.

Great article though

Boycs - would you have Trueman and Hutton in your best ever world XI? Or indeed any other Yorkshire men ....

Sir Jack Hobbs was better than Sir Len Hutton.

No one played better on broken pitches as Sir Jack, not even Sir Donald

sonic_boom10 wrote:Sir Jack Hobbs was better than Sir Len Hutton.

No one played better on broken pitches as Sir Jack, not even Sir Donald

But Hutton could also bat well on broken wet pitches and Hutton has a triple century to his name in test cricket.

I would have Hobbs in my team - but there is plenty of room for debate over the other opener......

gboycottnut wrote:

sonic_boom10 wrote:Sir Jack Hobbs was better than Sir Len Hutton.

No one played better on broken pitches as Sir Jack, not even Sir Donald

But Hutton could also bat well on broken wet pitches and Hutton has a triple century to his name in test cricket.

A 300 proves what?

Mark Taylor has one of those, as does Jayasuriya, neither are legendary Test match players.

Also favour in Hobbs scored 10 of his 15 Test hundreds away from home.

Hutton scored 6 away from home out off 19.

sonic_boom10 wrote:Also favour in Hobbs scored 10 of his 15 Test hundreds away from home.

Hutton scored 6 away from home out off 19.

But Hobbs had easier bowlers to face throughout the majority of his test career. Hutton had much harder bowlers to face, particularly the nasty Australian pace pair of Lindwall and Miller. Also Hutton had to bat for the rest of his test career handicapped with a permanent arm injury after an accident during the second world war.

gboycottnut wrote:

sonic_boom10 wrote:Also favour in Hobbs scored 10 of his 15 Test hundreds away from home.

Hutton scored 6 away from home out off 19.

But Hobbs had easier bowlers to face throughout the majority of his test career. Hutton had much harder bowlers to face, particularly the nasty Australian pace pair of Lindwall and Miller. Also Hutton had to bat for the rest of his test career handicapped with a permanent arm injury after an accident during the second world war.

Still take Hobbs as the greatest opener ever.
How about Hutton for Gavaskar?

Personally though, I'd go with Hobbs and Sutcliffe.
Why break up the greatest opening partnership in test match history?

btw already made an article on this further down the page

but to great to see it made again

Hoggy_Bear wrote:

Still take Hobbs as the greatest opener ever.
How about Hutton for Gavaskar?

Personally though, I'd go with Hobbs and Sutcliffe.
Why break up the greatest opening partnership in test match history?

But Hobbs never had to face the might and fury of the sporting Aussie terriers Lindwall and Miller.

gboycottnut wrote:

Hoggy_Bear wrote:

Still take Hobbs as the greatest opener ever.
How about Hutton for Gavaskar?

Personally though, I'd go with Hobbs and Sutcliffe.
Why break up the greatest opening partnership in test match history?

But Hobbs never had to face the might and fury of the sporting Aussie terriers Lindwall and Miller.

But he did face Gregory and MacDonald

1)Len Hutton
2)Sunil Gavaskar
3)Stephen Fleming (C)
4)Geoffrey Boycott
5)Sachin Tendulkar
6)Brian Lara
7)Kumar Sangakarra (WK)
8)Shane Warne
9)Glenn MCGrath
10)Dennis Lileee
11)Muttiah Muralitharian

J. Hobbs
H. Sutcliffe
D. Bradman(C)
S. Tendulkar
B. Lara
G. Sobers
Imran Khan
A. Knott(WK)
M. Marshall
S. Warne
S.F. Barnes

great side hoggy

Hoggy_Bear wrote:

gboycottnut wrote:

sonic_boom10 wrote:Also favour in Hobbs scored 10 of his 15 Test hundreds away from home.

Hutton scored 6 away from home out off 19.

But Hobbs had easier bowlers to face throughout the majority of his test career. Hutton had much harder bowlers to face, particularly the nasty Australian pace pair of Lindwall and Miller. Also Hutton had to bat for the rest of his test career handicapped with a permanent arm injury after an accident during the second world war.

Still take Hobbs as the greatest opener ever.
How about Hutton for Gavaskar?

Personally though, I'd go with Hobbs and Sutcliffe.
Why break up the greatest opening partnership in test match history?

Gavaskar is the greatest opener of them all.

The way the took on the Windies legendary quicks, was the stuff of legends.

Also, Gavaskar played in a pretty dreadful Indian side.

Gavaskar's exploits against the WIndies quicks are exaggerated. He hardly ever faced the top 4 bowlers bowling together and when he did (in the 1982-83 series), he only averaged 30

Hoggy_Bear wrote:Gavaskar's exploits against the WIndies quicks are exaggerated. He hardly ever faced the top 4 bowlers bowling together and when he did (in the 1982-83 series), he only averaged 30

You go ask Botham who the best batsman he bowled to, his reply will be Sunny

sonic_boom10 wrote:

Hoggy_Bear wrote:Gavaskar's exploits against the WIndies quicks are exaggerated. He hardly ever faced the top 4 bowlers bowling together and when he did (in the 1982-83 series), he only averaged 30

You go ask Botham who the best batsman he bowled to, his reply will be Sunny

I'm not disputing that Gavaskar was a great batsman, (though I reckon Botham'd probably say Viv Richards), just pointing out that Sunil's record against the WIndies is not as great an achievement as it's often made out to be.

gavaskar was solid at the top