World Test XI that would line up against India

Indian Captain Virat Kohli with Test championship Mace
Indian captain Virat Kohli with the Test Championship Mace

World T20 champions West Indies will face ICC Rest of the World XI in a one-off T20I at Lord's on May 31 this year to raise money towards restoration efforts in areas of the Caribbean hit by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September last year. What if the same concept applied to a Test match?

Recently, ICC handed the Test championship mace to Indian skipper Virat Kohli. If a fund-raising match was to be played in the Test format, then Rest of the World XI would face India, as they are the No.1-ranked side in the format.

This article looks at the Rest of the World squad that would take the field against the Indians Players have been picked considering their current form.

Openers: David Warner and Dean Elgar

Ente
Dean Elgar will partner David Warner at the top

David Warner is the most explosive opener in modern-day cricket without a shadow of a doubt. Being ranked 5th in the ICC Test rankings, he can walk into the playing XI of any team. He can attack the opposition bowlers on the first day of a Test and unsettle them.

In the last 12 months, Warner has scored 866 runs in 18 innings at an average of 50.94 which includes 3 hundreds and 5 fifties.

Partnering Warner at the top, it's none other than Proteas opener Dean Elgar. Elgar is one of the most-improved cricketers over the last couple of years. In the recently-concluded series against India, he showed great temperament and grit. Also, the awful form of Alastair Cook makes Elgar the automatic choice.

Elgar scored 1140 runs last year in 26 innings at an average of 45.60. It includes 4 hundreds and 5 fifties.

Middle Order: Steve Smith, Joe Root and AB de Villiers

Steve
Steve Smith has an average 87.64 in the last 12 months

At first drop, it would be the Australian skipper and current No.1 ranked Test batsman Steve Smith. Smith's stats in the last 12 months are unimaginable. He has scored 1227 runs in 17 innings at a mammoth average of 87.64, with 5 hundreds and 4 fifties.

At No. 4, it's England captain Joe Root. Although he struggled to convert his starts into big innings in the Ashes, he makes it into this team on the basis of sheer consistency. He has scored 1107 runs in the last 21 innings at an average of 55.35 which includes 2 hundreds and 10 fifties.

No. 5 is the position where you need a player who has the ability to stop the wickets from falling, and also someone who can score quick runs if needed. For that, AB de Villiers is the perfect fit. He has played just 9 innings in the last 12 months and scored only 335 runs with 4 fifties. Even though he hasn't played many matches, we all know what kind of a player he is and what he is capable of.

All-rounder and wicket-keeper: Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow

Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow

Ben Stokes is back in England colors after a tough 3-4 months. He is the best fast-bowling all-rounder in the world currently without a doubt. Stokes has scored 527 runs in his last 12 innings at an average of 43.91 with 2 hundreds and 4 fifties. With the ball, he has picked 16 wickets in 13 innings at 31.31.

In the past couple of years, there has been no better keeper-batsman than Jonny Bairstow. Bairstow has scored 695 runs in his last 21 innings with a hundred and 3 fifties whilst also effecting 39 dismissals behind the stumps, with 36 catches and 3 stumpings.

Fast Bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Kagiso Rabada, James Anderson

Rabs
Rabada has become South Africa's spearhead

An outstanding swing bowler, a left-arm speedster and a young, raw talent. This is the dream pace attack every captain would love to have on his team. James Anderson, Mitchell Starc and Kagiso Rabada are the leading pace bowlers in the world and easily make it into this team.

James Anderson: 56 wickets in 22 innings at 18.26

Mitchell Starc: 31 wickets in 10 innings at 20.19

Kagiso Rabada: 61 wickets in 24 innings at 22.55

Spinner: Nathan Lyon

South Africa v Australia - 1st Test: Day 2
Nathan Lyon as the lone spinner

Nathan Lyon has picked 52 wickets in 18 innings at 25.75 in the last 12 months and has outperformed the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and co. He has shown that he has the ability to take wickets on flat pitches whilst also holding one end steady while the likes of Starc and Cummins operate.

Final XI: 1. David Warner 2. Dean Elgar 3. Steve Smith 4. Joe Root 5. AB de Villiers 6. Ben Stokes 7. Jonny Bairstow 8. Mitchell Starc 9. Kagiso Rabada 10. Nathan Lyon 11. James Anderson

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Edited by Arvind Sriram