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India's 500th Test: dna pics the Dream XI

dna picks India's all-time great XI from among the 285 Test players across 84 years. To select only 11 – that is less than 4 per cent of those who have played for India in Tests – will be doing injustice to 274 others. But most of those selected are automatic choices. Let us know if you agree or not.

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Sunil Gavaskar:

The diminutive opener had answers to all the questions that the opposition threw at him. Pace or spin, Gavaskar was technically sound to negate them. His mantra was 'to give half an hour in the morning to the opposition and the entire day is yours'. The first to 10,000 club and the owner of the world record for most Test hundreds until Sachin Tendulkar surpassed him, Gavaskar was the epitome of batting in general, and opening the innings in particular.

Mts: 125; Inngs: 214; NO: 16; Runs: 10,122; Hs: 236*; Ave: 51.12; 100s: 34; 50s: 45; Ct: 108

Virender Sehwag:

The dashing, unorthodox batsman is a perfect complement to Gavaskar. This Delhi batsman can keep the scoreboard ticking even if Gavaskar is tiring the bowlers and keeping one end tight. Converted into an opener, he slipped into that role perfectly. To him, batting position did not matter. All that mattered was scoring runs through the gaps, over the top, wherever he saw scoring opportunities. Sehwag demoralised the opposition and set up many a Test win for India. No small wonder that he has 14 150-plus scores in Tests out of his 23 centuries.

Mts: 104; Inngs: 180; NO: 6; Runs: 8,586; Hs: 319; Ave: 49.34; 100s: 23; 50s: 32; Ct: 91

Rahul Dravid:

'The Wall' put a heavy price to his wicket. Even as batsmen at the other end were dislodged, Dravid stood like a rock. He rose to the occasion when the going was tough. He adapted smoothly to conditions where batting was difficult. Dravid worked his way to the top and become an all-time great No. 3. He gave the team the cushion to play their natural game, knowing very well that Dravid will see the side through difficult times. Dravid has led India to series wins in West Indies (2006) and England (2007). And had the safest pair of hands in slips, still owning the world record for most catches – 210.

Mts: 164; Inngs: 286; NO: 32; Runs: 13,288; Hs: 270; Ave: 52.31; 100s: 36; 50s: 63; Ct: 210

Sachin Tendulkar:

For his sheer longevity in the game, the Mumbai maestro will walk into any all-time great XI anywhere in the world. He has lasted 24 years in international cricket by his consistency, thirst for runs and ability to play long innings. He showed signs of greatness by scoring on tricky pitches in Australia at a young age and even as he was ageing, he was like wine, getting better and better. He has the most runs in a career, most centuries besides the maximum appearances – 200, which accounts to 42.19 per cent of the Tests that India played in at the time of his retirement. His records look like lasting forever.

Mts: 200; Inngs: 329; NO: 33; Runs: 15,921; Hs: 248*; Ave: 53.78; 100s: 51; 50s: 68; Ct: 115

VVS Laxman:

For his sheer knock of 281 against Australia in Kolkata in 2001 after India stared at defeat and then going on to win the Test and the series, Laxman finds his way into the XI. Not only that, he has dominated the bowling, particularly in Australia when others found the going tough. With one of the best wrist work in cricket, Laxman has endured pain one too many to bat with the tail-enders and guide India to victory. Wins against Sri Lanka at P Sara Oval, Australia in Mohali and South Africa in Durban will stand out as a few of many Laxman specials, batting with the tail and winning matches. He formed a deadly combination with Dravid in the slips.

Mts: 134; Inngs: 225; NO: 34; Runs: 8,781; Hs: 281; Ave: 45.97; 100s: 17; 50s: 56; Ct: 135

Kapil Dev:

In an era when players maintained their own ways of keeping fit, the all-rounder from Haryana remained at his fittest best. He never missed a Test due to injury. When he broke into the scene in 1978 as a 19-year-old, he was India's answer for a genuine fast bowler in the world. He also batted with gay abandon that he was a member of the Famous Four all-round greats during his era with Imran Khan (Pakistan), Richard Hadlee (New Zealand) and Ian Botham (England). He held the world record for most wickets – 434 – for six years until Courtney Walsh went past him. A captain who also looked to win matches, the feature that is prevalent in today's sides. Under him, India won 2-0 in England in 1986 and also tying a Test against Australia in Chennai the same year.

Mts: 131; Inngs: 184; NO: 15; Runs: 5,248; Hs: 163; Ave: 31.05; 100s: 8; 50s: 27; Ct: 64; Wkts: 434; Ave: 29.64; Best: 9/83; 5WI: 23; 10WM: 2

Syed Kirmani (WK):

Syed Kirmani pipped popular choice Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the wicketkeeper's slot for his flamboyance. Agreed that one need not be attractive behind the stumps as long as he is efficient. But, Kirmani was equally effective. He began his career by keeping for the famous Spin Quartet and kept with equal aplomb when fiery pacer Kapil Dev broke into the team. He kept in all conditions, diving in front of slips, or the other side, to take some breath-taking catches. He was equally efficient with the bat, making it difficult for bowlers to dislodge. Loved by all, his only regret was not playing in 100 Tests or completing 200 Test dismissals.

Mts: 88; Inngs: 124; NO: 22; Runs: 2,759; Hs: 102; Ave: 27.04.12; 100s: 2; 50s: 12; Ct: 160; St: 38

Anil Kumble (C):

He bowled leg-spin and had the aggression normally associated with a fast bowler. He never tired of bowling. He'd snatch the ball from captains and bowl when the skipper looked for other options. The lanky leg-spinner made the most of his height and bounce to fox the opposition to pick 619 Test wickets, the most by an Indian and the third most in the world behind Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708). He is the second of only two bowlers in the history of Tests to take all 10 wickets in an innings after Jim Laker of England, when he took 10/74 against Pakistan in New Delhi in 1999. His aggressive approach towards winning matches also makes him the captain of this team ahead of the other greats in this line-up. He is also more than a handy batsman with a Test century at The Oval in 2007 to boot.

Mts: 132; Inngs: 173; NO: 32; Runs: 2,506; Hs: 110*; Ave: 17.77; 100s: 1; 50s: 5; Ct: 60; Wkts: 619; Ave: 29.65; Best: 10/74; 5WI: 35; 10WM: 8

Zaheer Khan:

India's best ever left-arm pacer will be an ideal new-ball partner to Kapil Dev. It will be a delight to see Kapil beating the right-handers with the away-going ball and Zaheer foxing the batsmen by bringing the ball in and looking for the LBW opportunity or beating the defence. He will also learn from Kapil on ways to stay injury-free. Zaheer's mastery with the reverse swing will make him a feared bowler with the old ball also. That he was manning the field when Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the actual captain speaks volumes of his cricketing acumen and out-thinking the batsmen. He was a better bowler in the second half of his career, even playing a vital role in India's rise to No. 1 Test team in the late 2000.

Mts: 92; Wkts: 311; Ave: 32.94; Best: 7/87; 5WI: 11; 10WM: 1

Javagal Srinath:

An ideal first-change bowler, Srinath had the ability to bowl quick even when the conditions did not suit it. He was an understudy to Kapil Dev in his first few years, getting to play only overseas until the legendary all-rounder retired. Since Kapil's retirement in 1994, the Bangalore pacer spearheaded the Indian bowling under Mohammad Azharuddin's captaincy and later under Sachin Tendulkar, setting up victories. Be it playing in the mix of senior medium-pacers Kapil and Manoj Prabhakar, or on spin-friendly tracks, Srinath was always a vital cog in the Indian bowling wheel. He also nurtured youngsters in the latter part of his career, Zaheer being one of them.

Mts: 67; Wkts: 236; Ave: 30.49; Best: 8/86; 5WI: 10; 10WM: 1

EAS Prasanna:

The crafty off-spinner finds his way into this XI ahead of illustrious co-members of the famous Spin Quartet of the 1960s and 70s. He also pips proven fellow off-spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ghulam Ahmed, to name a few. Prasanna gives variation to the wrist-spinner Kumble with his flight that made him unplayable even on good pitches. He was known to out-think the batsmen. His principle was “line is optional, length is mandatory”. He practiced this in his playing days and preaches this to youngsters even today. He became captain Mansur Ali Khan's go-to bowler and was also a shrewd thinker of the game. He successfully managed the Indian team to the B&H World Championship of Cricket win while also drawing a Test series in Australia in 1985-86, which India should have won but for weather and some poor umpiring decisions.

Mts: 49; Wkts: 189; Ave: 30.38; Best: 8/76; 5WI: 10; 10WM: 2

(Selected by G Krishnan; guru.krishnan@dnaindia)

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