A look back at Kumar Sangakkara's all-time Test XI

Kumar Sangakkara is widely regarded as one of the world's most influential cricketers and one of the greatest batsmen of all time. He was the undisputed number one Test Batsman in the ICC Test Rankings from 2005 to 2015 and has created records with the Wicket-Keeping gloves too.

Nobody can ever forget the monumental 624 run stand between him and Mahela Jayawardene, that made the South African bowlers look lifeless. He has scored more than 12,000 runs in Test cricket and has 11 Double Centuries to his name, being second only to Sir Donald Bradman, who has 12 Double Centuries.

Being the fifth highest run scorer in Test Cricket history, and someone who achieved phenomenal success as a Test Batsman himself, Sangakkara's favourite Test XI of all time should be exciting.

Sanga has been a cricketing legend and his choice of the best Test cricketers would be interesting to know. Here is the list of players that Sangakkara picked back in 2016:

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#1 Matthew Hayden (Australia)

Haydos has been the ruthless and mighty Australian opener

Sangakkara has picked the aggressive Hayden to open and face the first ball. Hayden or Haydos was one batsman who could make the opposition bowlers fear him merely due to his sheer ability to smash the ball, irrespective of the format.

He also holds the record for the Highest individual Test score by an Australian as well as the Highest individual Test score by an opening Batsman (380).

Hayden scored his 30th Test Century (103) in his 94th test match, to go past the legendary Don Bradman's haul. With that knock, Hayden took his career aggregate to 8,242 runs, that were scored at an average of 53.51 runs per innings. He has also scored 27 Half-Centuries in 94 Tests.

#2 Rahul Dravid (India)

'Wall' of Indian Cricket, Rahul Dravid

The former Sri Lanka Wicket-Keeper Batsman picked Dravid to open alongside Hayden. He labelled Dravid and Sir Viv Richards as his all-time favourites.

Dravid, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest Batsman in the history of Test cricket, is also the fourth highest run scorer in the history of Test Cricket.

Dravid holds a record of never getting out for a Golden Duck (duck on the first ball one faces) in the 286 Test innings that he has played.

Respectfully called the 'Wall' because of his ability to stand tall at the crease and not get out, Dravid has faced a total of 31258 balls, which is the highest number of balls faced by any player in the history of Test cricket. He has also spent a total of 44152 minutes at the crease, which again is the highest amount of time spent on the crease by any player in Test cricket history.

#3 Brian Lara (West Indies)

Lara also holds the record for the highest individual score of 400* in a Test innings against England at Antigua in 2004

Sangakkara has picked Brian Lara at No. 3. The Trinidadian Batsman is regarded as one of the World's greatest, having topped the Test rankings on several occasions.

Lara also holds the record for the highest individual score of 400* in a Test innings against England at Antigua in 2004.

Legendary fast bowler Glenn McGrath has gone on record saying that Lara is the best Batsman he has ever bowled to. With all the records, runs, talent, reputation and class, Brian Lara is a must for anybody's All Time Test XI.

#4 Ricky Ponting (Australia)

He is one of only four players in history to have reached the 13,000 Test run mark

Ricky Ponting has been picked to bat at No. 4. Having played over 160 Tests for his country, Ponting is Australia's leading run-scorer in Test and ODI cricket.

He is one of only four players in history to have reached the 13,000 Test run mark. He also holds the record for being one of the most successful Captains of all time, with 48 victories in 77 Tests between 2004 and 31 December 2010.

Being the only cricketer in history to be involved in 100 Test victories, Ponting is the only batsman to have hit a Century in both the innings of his 100th Test Match, and that is what makes the Former Australian Captain so special.

#5 Aravinda De Silva (Sri Lankan)

Aravinda De Silva played a vital role in Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup win

Sangakkara was in a dilemma in whether to pick De Silva or Jayawardene but since Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene had mutually agreed on the fact that De Silva was the best ever Sri Lankan player they had seen, he chose De Silva.

Aravinda De Silva played a vital role in Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup win and announced to the world that Sri Lanka couldn't be taken lightly anymore. He has scored a century in each innings of a Test match on two different occasions and has always backed his aggressive style of batting.

He has kept faith in his own potential and technique, has remained focused and has always disregarded critics, maintaining the stand that his style of play had been aggressive all through and he shall not change it. He has been an all-time great for Sri Lanka.

#6 Jacques Kallis (South Africa)

Kallis was probably the best All-Rounder in the world to have played Test cricket

Kumar Sangakkara picks Jacques Kallis as his No. 6 batsman. Kallis was probably the best All-Rounder in the world to have played Test cricket.

Being a superb Batsman, he has scored 45 Hundreds and 58 Fifties at an average of 55.37 runs and has exhibited the quality of bowling overs of genuine fast bowling too. He is the only cricketer in the World to score more than 10,000 runs and also take more than 250 wickets in Test and ODI Cricket, both.

Having a Test average of over 55 runs per innings, and the phenomenal abilities to play reverse swing, as well as swing and reverse swing the ball himself, he is a no-brainer for inclusion in the team.

#7 Adam Gilchrist (Australia)

Gilchrist was a phenomenal No.7 batsman

Adam Gilchrist finds a place in Sangakkara's XIs, being an extraordinary Wicket-Keeper and a fine, yet aggressive Batsman.

He is also regarded as the greatest Wicket-Keeper Batsman the game has ever produced, who had scored a quick 81* and taken five catches along with one stumping in his debut match itself.

He has been a serious threat, not only to Bowlers due to his sheer brilliance with the bat, but also to the Batsman as he rarely missed any chances of catching or stumping. Gilchrist is one of the best, if not 'the' best No. 7 batsman one can ever find or think of.

#8 Shane Warne (Australia)

He has been one of the most accurate Leg Spinners and has proven to be extremely useful as a slip fielder

One can never deny the fact that Warne is the greatest ever Leg-Spin Bowler, having picked more than 700 Wickets in his Test career.

Warne has not only been a big spinner of the cricket ball but was also very well known for playing with the Batsmen's minds.

He has been one of the most accurate Leg Spinners and has proven to be extremely useful as a slip fielder, missing very few catches in that region and has also been an aggressive Tail-Ender, rescuing his team with crucial Partnerships on several occasions.

#9 Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka)

The man with 800 wickets has never failed to startle the World's finest of Batsmen and has been often termed as the mystery Bowler

Though wrapped in controversies throughout his career, Murali had a phenomenal time with the ball. Most Batsman of his era today confess having tough times and being perplexed as to reading what he had been bowling and was going to bowl.

Till date, several well known Batsman say that they could never read the bowling of Muralitharan. The man with 800 wickets has never failed to startle the World's finest of Batsmen and has been often termed as the mystery Bowler who would leave Batsmen baffled, by the Batsmen themselves.

#10 Wasim Akram (Pakistan)

Wasim Akram had exceptional skills with the ball

Sangakkara lauded the highly skilled Wasim Akram for his exceptional skills with the ball and his magical ability to swing the ball both ways, including reverse swing.

The 'King of Swing' had claimed fifers in both innings of his second Test match for Pakistan, and went on to become Pakistan's highest Wicket taker.

He has been an epitome of fast bowling and has been able to go through the defence of Batsmen to get them out on several occasions.

When most Batsmen, including the very reputed ones, seem to pick him in their all-time Test XIs, it speaks volumes about the class and quality of the Bowler.

#11 Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka)

Vaas was a brilliant bowler for Sri Lanka

Overcoming the dilemma, Sangakkara decided to go with a fellow Sri Lankan over the legendary Glenn McGrath.

The seam bowler who was not very fast either exhibited exemplary skills with the ball on the slow tracks of the Subcontinent. He was well known for his late swing that would often make leave Batsmen clueless after being unable to pick and identify the swing. Chaminda Vaas has created a niche for himself, coming out as an all-time great in the era of Muralitharan and on flat tracks that were predominantly spin-friendly.