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Had there been no partition, the subcontinent would have been home to one of the greatest teams, the game of cricket has ever produced. That team would have transcended the mighty West Indies from the 80's and overpowered the all-Aussies from the early Noughties.
It would have comprised of real stalwarts and legends of the game. Let your imagination take a free roam for a minute or two. Imagine that you’re still residing in an undivided India where Kashmir is not a disputed territory, Lahore and Delhi exactly emulate each other and Kolkata is a pretty hectic drive from Quetta. Imagine having a combined Cricket team not divided by a mere Radcliffe line.
Subcontinental teams have had torrid outings whenever they have touched down upon the British shores. Even the best of the lot tend to struggle in the hostile and swinging English conditions.
But what if the subcontinent had never broken apart in two? What if we make an all-time Indo-Pak Test XI and compare it with the English teams of any cricketing era? Could the men, who were ruled by the British be able to outshine the English with such a team? I reckon this team could eclipse any cricketing team from any time and age:
Openers
#1 Sunil Gavaskar
Unarguably, one of the greatest opening batsmen that have graced the game of cricket, Sunil Gavaskar personified picture-perfect technique and immaculate defence.
His staggering career average of 51.12 is defined by a kind of stroke-play that came right out of the cricketing playbooks. Gavaskar had 34 Test tons under his belt, 2 of which came in England. The likes of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad will need to pull out magic from his pocket to get this prized wicket.
He reinvented the outlook of Indian Cricket and instilled professionalism and sophistication into it. As Harsha Bhogle, once, befittingly described:
“His (Gavaskar) numbers were stellar, but more important, to a country starved of self-respect, he was a godsend …”
#2 Sachin Tendulkar
A tally of nearly 16,000 Test runs, an average bordering a barely-believable 54 and with 51 Test centuries to his name; there was not even a feather’s doubt when choosing our 2nd opener for this star-studded XI.
Sachin Tendulkar is not only the most prolific run-getter in the game but also the finest icon that cricket has ever known. Through utter prowess and genius, he pioneered the art of batting for more than two decades before bowing out as an all-time great.
“Little Master” as renowned in the cricketing fraternity, Tendulkar enjoyed a highly impressive record on the British shores. In the 17 matches that he played in England, he racked up a plethora of runs at an average of 54.31.
Middle Order
#3 Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid is one of those players that renovated the craft of batsman-ship under the most inhospitable conditions. He was one tough nut, a warrior that deceived the trenches, a perfectionist injected with timeless steel that could wear off all kinds of bowling attacks.
The numbers make him the 4th highest scorer in the format’s history but his career was overshadowed by the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman. The man bore extravagance and flair: a sort of class that few in the game could ever replicate.
Dravid’s stats in England are outlandish and nearly unparalleled. In 13 matches on British shores, he amassed 1376 runs under his belt with an eye-opening average of 68.80. Seems like we’ve got Anderson’s threat covered with this legendary top-order.
#4 Younis Khan
Younis Khan is all about commitment, grit and perseverance. A modern day great who rose to international stardom gradually but eventually.
The Pathan from Mardan went on become Pakistan’s most prolific batsman in Test Cricket, surpassing the likes of Javed Miandad and Inzamam ul Haq in the process. Younis was known for defying all odds and tumbling over long-standing records. He is the only cricketer to score Test centuries in 11 different countries.
One of the highlights of his illustrious career was his sublime double hundred against the Poms at The Oval, in 2016. In England, as a whole, he averaged over 50 in the 9 matches that he played there.
#5 Javed Miandad
In an era where resources of fearsome pace-bowling were plentiful, Javed Miandad laid the genesis of classical Pakistani batting.
For years, Miandad remained as Pakistan’s greatest batsman, both in terms of the runs he piled up and in the sort of situations he came in and rescued the team out of massive potholes. The man from Karachi was never away from controversies and one would think he’ll have the most perfect of responses for modern-day English sledges.
As Khawer Rabbani rightfully wrote for ESPNCricinfo in 2003:
“Players will come and players will go, but will there be any other 'street-fighter', will there be any other such conqueror, will there be any other wonder-boy and will there be any other 'Mum & Dad' in Pakistan cricket?”
Lower-order
#6 Imran Khan (C)
Imran Khan is the greatest cricketer to ever surface from Pakistan, by a country mile. Courageous, urbane and immensely adept, Khan rose to glory in the 80's and was one of the finest all-rounders of that era.
His leadership quality was the highlight though. At a time when most of the teams were being clobbered by the Windies, Khan led Pakistan to three drawn series against the men from the Caribbean and also became the 1st Pakistani skipper to win a Test series in England.
His expertise of ominous reverse swing coupled with his hostile style of batting were sights to savour during those days. Khan played a major portion of his Cricket in England and was as accustomed to the conditions as the natives.
Amongst his 362 Test wickets, 47 came in England at an average edging 24. He is our unrivalled captain who is going to keep the Englishmen on their toes.
#7 MS Dhoni (wk)
An all-time Indo-Pak XI without the services of one of the game’s most respected servants would be an injustice both to the man and cricket in general.
Known for his unorthodox yet highly effective batting technique and unflinching wicket-keeping stamina, Dhoni is a modern-day great. He has achieved more than what several cricketing legends couldn’t amass together.
Dhoni is all about composure and nonchalance and is positioned 5th on the wicket-keepers’ all-time list of most dismissals in the longest format. This is conjoined with an unfaltering career average of 38 with the bat.
#8 Kapil Dev
It is a huge privilege to be named India’s Cricketer of the Century ahead of the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar. But in Kapil Dev’s case, it’s absolutely befitting.
India is yet to produce a better fast-bowler than this wizard from Chandigarh. Born in a generation domineered by world-class all-rounders, Dev eclipsed heights of glory to become India’s greatest ever all-rounder. His sizzling out-swingers and flair-personified power hitting were as impeccable as Imran’s or Botham’s, if not better.
As Gideon Haigh correctly points:
“He bowled fast at a time when his country didn't produce fast bowlers; his spirit lives on through the style and aggression of modern Indian teams”.
Tail-enders
#9 Wasim Akram
Famed as the greatest left-arm pacer to ever play the game, Wasim Akram is an unavoidable selection in any all-time XI; a dream bowler for any skipper.
Like most fast-bowling greats, Wasim possessed the perilous combination of late swing and sheer pace. However, it was his paradisaical control over seam and swing that was beyond comparison.
No one in the cricketing world could make the ball dance around with as much ease as he did. He will, without a doubt, be an absolute nightmare for the likes of Alastair Cook and Joe Root.
Here’s what Osman Samiuddin said about the “Sultan of Swing”:
“A triumph of the imagination, he broadened the scope of what could be done in his art with talent and hard work, and left fast bowling unrecognizable from what it was before him.”
#10 Anil Kumble
A towering figure with an uncanny bowling action, Anil Kumble is the only specialist spinner in our line-up. His unrivalled records suggest we won’t be needing another, anyway.
Kumble’s startling tally of 619 wickets in Test Cricket places him on 3rd in the all-time highest wicket-takers in the format. The leg-break enchanter was more about skidding the ball and bewitching the batsmen with his extra slide rather than tossing it up and inviting sluggish drives.
Handling Kumble on a worn-and-torn surface was considered as strenuous as any challenge presented on the highest possible quality of the game. He has single-handedly decimated batting orders to win matches for his country.
#11 Waqar Younis
Internationally esteemed as the “Burewala Express”, Waqar Younis was known for his toe-crushing yorkers and late in-swingers that swung a mile to rattle the timber work.
Younis was one of the fastest bowlers of his era, boasting the characteristic belligerence of a Pakistani speedster. He was probably the only Pakistani bowler who actually rivalled and bore comparison to the sheer preeminence of Wasim Akram.
With 45 of his 373 wickets coming in England, he makes into our XI and will pose a genuine threat to the best of batsmen England has on offer.
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