Rohit Sharma picks his all time best Australian Test XI

What's the story?

Indian opener and stand-in captain Rohit Sharma picked the best Australian XI from the players that he had seen and played with. And, he did not pick Steve Smith.

In case you didn't know...

Picking the best XI has been a trend in the cricketing world. A media house generally asks the former and current players to pick the best XI that they have seen so far. This always brings an interesting perspective, as it reveals how the popular cricketers have seen their counterparts and legendary cricketers. Rohit Sharma recently revealed the best Australian XI that he had seen on PlayersVoice's Facebook channel.

The heart of the matter

The 30-year-old Mumbai Indians captain picked Matthew Hayden and David Warner for the opening slots, followed by former Australian captain Ricky Ponting at number three, who has great records at this position. He placed Michael Clarke at number four and veteran Mike Hussey at number five. Adam Gilchrist was named as the wicket keeper for the side, who would bat at number seven.

Surprisingly, the Indian opener put Shane Watson at number six, someone who hasn't played much in this position, to bring balance to the team. He picked three fast bowlers- Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, and Mitchell Johnson. He finally picked Shane Warne as the only spinner in the team.

Rohit Sharma’s best Australian Test XI:

Matthew Hayden, David Warner, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey, Shane Watson, Adam Gilchrist (WK), Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Glenn McGrath.

What's next?

Australia will be playing T20I series and ODI series in India. The T20I series will begin from the coming Sunday, and the ODI series will be played from the first week of March. Rohit Sharma has been picked for both the series, and would like to continue his domination against Australia at home.