Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket PlayersNo Virat Kohli among 3 Indians in Aakash Chopra's World XI to take on WTC winners New Zealand
What’s a World XI minus a surprise? There were a few in Aakash Chopra’s XI to take on WTC winners New Zealand. For starters, there was no Virat Kohli. Chopra's team however, had three Indians in it.
New Zealand beat India quite comfortably in the final to become the first-ever World Test Champions. Many experts including India head coach Ravi Shastri believed New Zealand were the better team in the conditions of Southampton. If Southampton favoured the Blackcaps then what about their dominance at home? Is there a team that can challenge the WTC winners New Zealand in their backyard? Former India opener Aakash Chopra tried to find the answer by putting together a World XI which can take on the Kane Williamson-led side.
What’s a World XI minus a surprise? There were a few in Chopra’s XI. For starters, there was no Virat Kohli. Yes, you read that right. Kohli would perhaps walk into any World XI at the moment (even the one including New Zealand players). But the Indian captain’s form in WTC was not that great. In fact, Kohli was not even in the top 10 scorers of the WTC cycle which began in August 2019 and ended with the final in Southampton last week. Chopra, who chose his team mainly on WTC performance, decided to exclude Kohli from his team.
There was no place for Pakistan captain Babar Azam either and the reasons were pretty much similar.
Chopra went ahead with England Test captain Joe Root at No.4 who is the second-highest scorer of the WTC with 1660 runs in 20 Tests.
Also Read | Michael Holding lists reasons for change in modern-day Indian cricket team
"At No.4, I have kept Joe Root. Yes Kohli and Babar Azam, you are not there. He has scored 1660 runs, of course, they play more matches, which includes double centuries in India, Sri Lanka. If an English batsman comes to Asia and scores runs, that will always be counted for much more than what it is," Chopra said.
Kohli’s deputy in white-ball cricket, Rohit Sharma, however, was named as the opener of Chopra’s team along with Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Karunaratne.
"Rohit Sharma has scored his runs at an average over 60. He has four centuries to his name, which also includes double hundreds. Dimuth Karunaratne will be there along with him. He has scored 999 runs at an average of 55.5," he said.
There were no prizes to guess the No.3. It was Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne, who is also the highest run scorer of the WTC with 1675 runs in 13 matches at an average of 72.82. Labuschagne was followed by Root and Steve Smith.
Also Read | Aakash Chopra predicts India’s opening pair for England Tests
"Marnus Labuschagne, of course. He has amassed 1675 runs, he has an average of 72, no one can remove him. He has five centuries, runs in the Ashes and against us as well.
"After that, I have picked Steve Smith. He has 1341 runs at an average of 63. He has struck four centuries and won a Test match single-handedly. That was the Ashes Test match and eventually scored runs against India as well," Chopra said.
Chopra preferred England’s Ben Stokes over India’s Ravindra Jadeja and West Indies’ Jason Holder as the all-rounder of his World XI.
"At No.6, I have got Ben Stokes. No Jason Holder or Ravindra Jadeja. You will need Ben Stokes' bowling for sure. He has scored 1334 runs, almost the same as Steve Smith, at an average of 46 and he has taken wickets as well."
The second Indian in Chopra’s team was wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant who pipped Jos Buttler.
"Buttler could have been the keeper as well but I have picked Rishabh Pant in my side. He has scored more than 700 runs at an average of nearly 40. He scored a century against England but he is the game-changer."
The third Indian in Chopra’s team was WTC highest-wicket taker Ravichandran Ashwin, who was also the sole spinner of the side, which also had the likes of Pat Cummins, Stuart Broad and Josh Hazlewood.
There was, however, no place for Mohammed Shami.
"I have picked Pat Cummins of course. He has taken 70 wickets. Ravichandran Ashwin - 71 in total now. He is the only spinner.
"Stuart Broad, I have kept him in my team for his 69 wickets at an average of 20. I am slightly split for No.11 because I have Shami, Hazlewood, Nortje and Starc. The thing that goes against Shami is that he has taken just the one fifer. I am going with Hazlewood," Chopra said.
Aakash Chopra's World XI: Rohit Sharma, Dimuth Karunaratne, Marnus Labuschagne, Joe Root (c), Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Rishabh Pant, Pat Cummins, Ravichandran Ashwin, Stuart Broad, Josh Hazlewood
