COC World Test XI of 21st century

Here is a COC XI of the best Test players in 21st century.

Previously, Team COC had picked the World ODI XI of the 21^st century comprising of players who did amazingly well in the 50-over format of international cricket after January 1, 2000, till their time of retirement or till date.

COC World ODI XI of 21st century

Today, we present to you the World Test XI of the 21^st century, which has players who did extremely well after the 2000s began in the longest format of the game and some of them are continuing till now as well.

Check out the COC World Test XI of 21^st century
(Please note the stats mentioned here are from the date of 01 January 2000 onwards)

GRAEME SMITH (SA)
9265 runs in 117 Tests at an average of 48.25 with 27 centuries and best of 277

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith had a fruitful career which began in 2002 and ended kind of prematurely in 2014 at the age of 32. He holds the record for most Test matches as captain-109, in which he led South Africa.

He was an excellent opening batsman, who could play spin and fast bowling with equal élan despite having an unorthodox grip and technique. He did his best in England where he slammed two back-to-back double-centuries in Birmingham and Lord’s in 2003.

VIRENDER SEHWAG (IND)
8586 runs in 104 Tests at an average of 49.34 with 23 centuries and best of 319

Whatever can be said about Virender Sehwag is less. He is credited with changing the way openers batted in Test matches given his cavalier attitude towards bowlers. He hit a century on his Test debut in 2001 against South Africa and went onto become the first Indian to smash a triple century as well, scoring 309 against Pakistan in 2004.

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He repeated the feat scoring 319 this time against South Africa in 2008 and became one of only four batsmen to hit two triple-hundreds in Test cricket. He gave India a massive advantage as his aggressive batting at the top set up matches for India, especially in 4^th innings, the best example being India chasing down 387 runs against England in Chennai in 2008.  

RICKY PONTING (C-AUS)
11286 runs in 135 Tests at an average of 53.48 with 35 centuries and best of 257

Ricky Ponting had made his Australia debut in 1995 but reached his peak in the 2000s when he was one of the leading batsmen in Test cricket. His record during that period was amazing and it just became too good when he became captain of the team in 2004.

Ricky Ponting is the only batsman to score twin centuries in his 100^th Test match and ended up as one of the greats of the game period thanks to his record throughout his career, but especially in the 21^st century.

STEVE SMITH (AUS)
7540 runs in 77 Tests at an average of 61.80 with 27 centuries and best of 239

The only batsman in this World XI who is playing the game currently, Steve Smith of Australia boasts of a Test average of over 60 (61.80) in the format. He has 7540 runs in 77 Tests with 27 centuries which is amazing for someone, who started his career as a leg-spinner, making his debut in 2010 against Pakistan at Lord’s, a unique Test debut for him at a neutral venue.

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Smith has become one of the prized wickets for bowlers in Test matches, thanks to his ability to bat long and make huge scores. Though he lost a year of his career after getting banned for one year due to his involvement in the ball-tampering scandal, he roared back during the 2019 Ashes, scoring 4 centuries in the 4 matches he played, and has never looked back.  

KUMAR SANGAKKARA (SL)
12400 runs in 134 Tests at an average of 57.40 with 38 centuries and best of 319

Kumar Sangakkara had to give up wicketkeeping in Tests to prolong his career as a batsman and that when he flourished. Making his debut in 2000, Sangakkara ended up with 12400 runs in 134 matches with 38 centuries to his name. He is the leading run-scorer for Sri Lanka in the format and has the most centuries for them as well.

Sangakkara is also one of the two batsmen in Test cricket to score a triple hundred and a century in the same Test, achieving the feat against Bangladesh in 2014. Before him, England’s Graham Gooch made a triple century and a century in the same Test, against India in 1990.  

JACQUES KALLIS (SA)
11440 runs in 134 Tests at an average of 48.08 with 40 centuries and best of 224 and 239 wickets with best of 6/54 at an average of 33.58

Jacques Kallis’ career can only be termed as that of an all-time great especially when you factor in that he batted in top order for South Africa and many times played as a frontline bowling option as well.

The all-rounder had made his Test debut in 1995 but flourished as both a batsman and as a bowler in the 2000s. He is rightly considered to be an all-time great all-rounder often being put in the same category as Sir Garfield Sobers. But Kallis is someone, who can walk into any World XI either as a batsman or as a bowler on his own, based on his superlative record.  

ADAM GILCHRIST (WK-AUS)
5130 runs in 91 Tests at an average of 46.63 with 16 centuries and best of 204* and 397 dismissals

Australia’s Adam Gilchrist rightly changed the way wicketkeepers were seen in Test cricket. He made his Test debut in 1999, replacing the uber-popular Ian Healy, and made an immediate impact with a century in his first Test series itself against Pakistan.

However, his aggressive batting at no.6 or 7 gave Australia a huge batting option who could salvage an innings in case of collapse or take the lead to whole another level to put pressure on the opposition. He also captained Australia well, becoming the first captain to win a Test series in India since 1969, when he beat the home side in 2004 in absence of Ricky Ponting.

SHANE WARNE (AUS)
357 wickets in 65 Tests with best of 7/94 at an average of 25.17

No World Test XI is complete without the great Shane Warne. Warne had made quite an unimpressive debut in Tests in 1992 against India as he was smashed all over the park by Ravi Shastri who made a double century and Sachin Tendulkar, who made a century in Sydney.

However, he turned the world on its head when he bowled the ball of the century on his Ashes debut in 1993, and despite playing just till 2007, he made quite an impact from 2000 -2007. He picked 357 wickets in 65 Tests during the period and became the first bowler to 700 Test wickets as well.  

DALE STEYN (SA)
439 wickets in 93 Tests with best of 7/51 at an average of 22.95

Dale Steyn was an amazing fast bowler with a beautiful bowling action who captured the imagination of the cricket world. Steyn made an impactful debut against England in 2004 and went onto play 93 Tests picking 439 wickets.

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However, what made him great was his ability to pick wickets everywhere in the world. He was particularly impressive in India and the Indian subcontinent with his best bowling of 7/51 helping South Africa blow away India in the Nagpur Test of the 2010 Test series.

MUTTIAH MURALITHARAN (SL)
573 wickets in 85 Tests with best of 9/51 at an average of 21.01

Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka was the first bowler to 800 Test wickets, a feat he achieved in the final Test match of his career. Though he made his Test debut in 1992, Muralitharan picked more than 550 wickets from 2000 to his retirement in 2010, while picking the best bowling of 9/51.

He also shouldered the bowling attack of the island nation along with Chaminda Vaas and basically bowled from one end, non-stop. His best bowling figures in this period- 9/51 came against Zimbabwe in the 2002 Kandy Test match. He is the only bowler with more than one 9-wicket haul in a Test inning.

GLENN MCGRATH (AUS)
297 wickets in 66 Tests with best of 8/24 at an average of 20.53

Glenn McGrath has made his debut in 1993 and had established himself as the leading strike bowler of Australia in 1996 when Craig McDermott’s fitness issues caused him to retire. McGrath picked wickets everywhere he went including the Indian subcontinent and hence is considered to be an all-time great.

From the period of 2000 to his retirement in 2007 in Tests, he picked 297 wickets in 66 matches at an astonishing average of 20.53 and he also took a Test hat-trick against West Indies which included Brian Lara as one of the wickets, while completing his 300 wickets in Tests.

World Test XI of 21^st century:

Graeme Smith (SA), Virender Sehwag (IND), Ricky Ponting (C-AUS), Steve Smith (AUS), Kumar Sangakkara (SL), Jacques Kallis (SA), Adam Gilchrist (WK-AUS), Shane Warne (AUS), Dale Steyn (SA), Muttiah Muralitharan (SL), Glenn McGrath (AUS)