But, while individual brilliance often takes the centre stage, let us not forget that cricket is, after all, a team sport. An individual may lead his side to a win or two but, for a team to conquer territory after territory it is the collective effort that becomes the need. A great team is often the one with just the right combination of individuals who can complement one another. Having said that, the history of cricket doesn’t boast of a sizeable number of great teams which went on to establish their reign over the cricketing world for many years. The West Indian teams of the 1970s and early 1980s, and the Aussies in the late 1990s and almost the whole of the first decade of the 21st century come to mind as the greatest squads ever.
The Aussies of the previous decade were altogether a different team and were perhaps more complete than the pace-heavy West Indies squads of the 70s and 80s. Their dominance over a large part of the previous decade was such that an ICC Super Series played between the World XI squad and Australia was organised in the year 2005. The series comprised of 3 ODIs and a Test, all of which Australia won comprehensively.
Clearly, even the star-studded lineup of the then World XI failed to overcome the Australian roadblock. But, what if that Australian lineup were to be pitted against the best modern day players? The consequence might not have been the same.
In this slideshow, we form our own World XI out of the current bunch of cricketers that would have high chances of winning against the Australian XI that won against World XI of 2005.
Openers (Shikhar Dhawan & Rohit Sharma)
Going by the current form there is no opening pair that looks as ominous as this Indian pair. Apart from some sporadic failures, they have been fairly consistent. Their significance to the Indian setup stems from the fact that they have accumulated 3382 runs between them in 76 innings at an admirable average of 45.
Both of them have been the batting mainstays of the Indian ODI squad for the past few years. Their individual stats are a testament to this fact. As far as Rohit is concerned, his ODI stats have gone better with time. His ODI average in the year 2017 crossed 70, and was a significant jump from 63 that he had in 2016.
Although Dhawan does not boast of such lofty numbers he is only second to Rohit when it comes to opening. His average has consistently hovered around the 50 runs per innings marks. Moreover, he has been instrumental to Indian hopes in major ICC tournaments. With such numbers and the ability to stitch up important partnerships at the top by their side, it is no surprise that they form the opening pair of our World XI team.
#3 Virat Kohli, the skipper, completes our top order
The audacity with which Virat Kohli has made his runs across formats in the past few years has established him as a modern-day great. His wristy shots combined with nifty footwork make him an exquisite striker of the cricket ball. He is currently the number one ranked ODI batsman. His ODI numbers are a thing to admire as much as his cover drives are. His average of 58 runs per ODI innings combined with a strike-rate of around 92 runs per 100 deliveries makes him too irresistible an option to not be included in our World XI team.
Virat is also the captain of our World XI team. He is one of those few players who can lead from the front and has even done it on several occasions. Recently, he even equalled the ODI record for the highest number of victories after 50 matches of captaincy. His passion and zeal on and off the field are enough to instil in other players a deep desire to win which is the first ingredient in every recipe of victory.
#4 Jonny Bairstow
England’s turnaround in ODI cricket would not have been possible without Jonny Bairstow. After having a few mediocre early years in ODI cricket, Bairstow has finally found his mojo. Until the beginning of 2017, Bairstow was a suppressed striker having neither strike rate nor averages to show for his talent. But his performances in 2017 was enough to change perceptions of people about him. From 2017 onwards, he has accumulated 1436 runs in 27 innings at an average of 65.3 at a strike-rate greater than 100. Possessing both resilience and counter-attacking instincts, Bairstow easily makes it to the middle order of our World XI.
#5 Faf Du Plessis
Faf du Plessis brings with himself a lot of experience and batting stability to any team that he is playing in. He has been one of the most consistent batsmen going around for the past few years. Although he was not a part of the South African ODI team that faced India due to an injury, he proved he is still in form with his masterful knock in an IPL playoff match, which he won singlehandedly for his side. Being a player who can soak up the pressure and find his way through in tough situations make him an easy choice for a middle-order slot.
#6 MS Dhoni (Wicketkeeper)
MS Dhoni, of late, has been a reflection of the vintage Dhoni that bowlers find too hot to handle. His recent exploits in the IPL seem to be a prelude to what he has in store for the upcoming World Cup. Calm amidst chaos, Dhoni is the perfect man to hold the fort in case of a batting collapse. He is one of the few batsmen who have mastered the art of batting with the lower order. And for his wicketkeeping, he is still lightning quick behind the stumps.
#7 Ben Stokes
Handy as a bowler, Stokes is perhaps the perfect choice for a batting allrounder in our World XI squad. His numbers in the past couple of years are a testament to his abilities with both bat and bowl. 2016 onwards, Stokes has made 1,302 ODI runs in 32 innings at an average of 52.08 with a strike-rate nearing 100 runs per 100 deliveries. In the same period, he has scalped 26 wickets in 35 matches. A fierce striker of the ball, Stokes can turn around games inside a few overs. His ability to take wickets at crucial junctures in the game and his batting prowess lower down the order make him one of the best all-rounders going around.
#8 Rashid Khan
Right from his ODI debut for Afghanistan, Rashid Khan has been making headlines with his leg-spinners and googlies, which have made him one of the toughest bowlers to face in limited-overs cricket. Time and again batsmen have been beaten by his googlies. Going by his numbers in ODIs, one cannot help but take note of his ability to prevent the flow of runs when the batsmen are on charge. His economy in the 50-overs format is below 4. His ability to take wickets without giving away runs make him one of the first choice spinners for our World XI squad.
#9 Jasprit Bumrah
Right from his debut in 2016, Bumrah has proved to be a deadly white ball bowler. With an ability to swing the bowl late and bowl impeccable yorkers, it is no wonder that his ODI stats have been tough to overcome for other pace bowlers. Moreover, his death bowling has improved over time; he is one of the best death bowlers in world cricket at the moment. Slowly making his mark as India’s pace spearhead, Bumrah is undoubtedly our frontline pace bowling option.
#10 Kuldeep Yadav
Much like Rashid Khan, Kuldeep Yadav has been a revelation, thanks to his wrong ones, which have often undone the batsmen. Making his debut on the back of IPL performances, Kuldeep quickly went on to cement his place in the Indian setup. In just 22 matches so far, he has taken 48 wickets at an average of 18.21. A mystery bowler, Kuldeep is the perfect choice for the other half of our spin duo, especially given the fact that Australians have never been fluent against spin.
#11 Hasan Ali
Hasan Ali has been Pakistan’s bowling mainstay for quite some time now. One of those bowlers who varies his pace well, he would be a perfect complement to the fiery Trent Boult. In addition to complementing Boult, his variations are tough to make runs against and that makes him a great death-bowling option to have in the side. Having taken 63 wickets in just 31 matches at a strike rate of 24.27, Ali adds to our collection of wicket taking bowlers.
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