The World's Best Test XI of the current era

#5 Steve Smith

Steve Smith's story truly panders to the romantics of this beautiful game.

He may have been suspended for a period of 12 months, but Steve Smith's story truly panders to the romantics of this beautiful game.

From a leg-spinner who could bat a bit to a batsman marauding towards greatness synonymous to Bradman, Steve Smith's story genuinely panders to the romantics of this beautiful game. Smith made his international debut for Australia against Pakistan in 2010 as a leg-spinner who could bat a bit, amid skepticism on his credentials by fans and pundits alike. After having copped a plethora of criticism on his selection or his pedigree as a Test match player, Smith was axed from all formats of the game after Australia lost the coveted urn at home to the English in the summer of 2010-11.

However, it was the same opposition three years later that saw the resurgence of Smith. His different technique along with an exaggerated trigger movement coupled with a constant shuffle paved the way for Smith's redemption as his crucial hundred at Melbourne Cricket Ground as the Aussies to clinched the Ashes in 2013-14.

If 2013-14 were an indication of Smith's resurgence, the succeeding season would establish his credentials as the best Test batter. Smith scored over 700 runs against India at home in 2014-15 empowering him to reach the zenith of Test rankings.

Nevertheless, his finest hour in Test cricket arrived last year when he scored a tenacious hundred in the second innings at Pune on a dust-bowl masquerading as the first Test pitch to help Australia win their Test in India since Nagpur, 2004. Smith was at it again in the home Ashes against England as the former Aussie skipper as he accumulated 687 runs in seven innings with two double-hundred at a monstrous average of 137.40, recording the second-highest score by an Aussie captain in a single Ashes series.

#6 Ben Stokes

Arguably the best all-rounder going around currently in World Cricket today

Arguably the best all-rounder going around currently in World Cricket today, England's Ben Stokes makes our list at No.6.After a series of consistent performances in the limited overs set-up, Stokes was handed over his Test debut in England's disastrous Ashes campaign of 2013-14 in Australia.

Stokes was England's sole shining light in that ill-fated Ashes for England as took his career-best 6-99 and top scored with 47 in the fifth Test at the SCG. He finished as England's second-highest taker with 15 wickets and the third highest run-scorer with the bat with 279 runs But it was the tour of South Africa in 2016 when Stokes truly announced himself as a top-quality all-rounder. His finest hour in Test cricket came as he stroked a swashbuckling 258 against a top-notch Proteas attack helping England to a series win in the rainbow nation.

Stokes was touted to be England's X-factor in the 2017-18 Ashes down under but an ugly altercation in the Bristol nightclub meant he missed the Ashes campaign which consequently ended with a 0-4 out of his side.

After spending months out of the game, Stokes got some much-needed relief when the ECB decided to include him for the ODI series in New Zealand. In 41 Tests thus far, Stokes has accumulated 2532 runs at an average of 35.17 to go along with 95 wickets at 34.14.