The World's Best Test XI of the current era

#3 Kane Williamson (Captain)

New Zealand's finest batsman since Martin Crowe

In at No.3 is New Zealand's skipper and arguably their finest batsman since the legendary Martin Crowe, the 27-year-old Kane Williamson.

Having made his debut in Ahmedabad 2010 against India, Williamson was already earmarked as the potential great since his U-19 days owing to his leadership skills and a non-Asian quality to play top-quality spin with precision. Thus, his pristine hundred on his debut against a top quality spin attack of India.

But it was only in 2015, after few years of inconsistent returns that Williamson embarked his name into the big league as he scored 1172 runs at a staggering average of 90. After a plethora of consistent performances and with his tactical acumen on full show, Williamson was appointed as the Blackcaps skipper following McCullum's retirement, and while he still has a long way to go in terms of success, his street-smartness is something that sets him apart, and he will lead our World XI side too.

#4 Virat Kohli

One of the most mercurial players to have graced the game in the 21st century

One of the most mercurial players to have graced the game in the 21st century is India's skipper Virat Kohli. The Delhi batsman rose to prominence after leading India to the U19 World Cup win in 2008. Kohli's sheer passion to win was an instant differentiator during that tournament, and he was awarded his debut as an opener in 2008 against Sri Lanka, but it was only in the December of 2009 that he gave a glimpse of his greatness when he scored his debut hundred in a run chase against Sri Lanka, and a slew of consistent performances and earned him a spot in the star-studded middle order in the 2011 World Cup.

Following his prowess in white-ball cricket, Virat was handed his Test debut against the West Indies in 2011. After mediocre returns in the three Tests and initial failures in Australia, Kohli scored a career-defining hundred at the Adelaide Oval in the fourth Test. That hundred started Kohli's love after with the ground, that saw him hammer two more on his captaincy debut in the summer of 2014-15.

The burden of captaincy seemed to rub off on Kohli for the good, as he went on to smash six double hundreds in the succeeding two seasons. In 66 Tests thus far, Kohli has accumulated 5554 runs at an average of 53.4, which includes 21 hundred and 16 fifties.