Former Australia batsman Mike Hussey on Tuesday (April 28) named the Best XI of opponents he has played against in Test cricket.
See Also: Hussey deems MS Dhoni as the greatest finisher of all time
Hussey picked four South African, three Indians and two Sri Lankans in his star-studded line-up, which also has one player each from West Indies and England.
Hussey, who represented Australia in 79 Tests, opted to go with Virender Sehwag and Graeme Smith as his two openers. For the crucial No. 3 position, he preferred West Indies’ leading Test scorer Brian Lara.
Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli were slotted to bat at No. 4 and 5 by Hussey. Jacques Kallis was the designated all-rounder in the team.
Kumar Sangakkara, the chosen wicketkeeper in the side, was placed to bat at No. 7 while Hussey named Muttiah Muralitharan as the lone spinner in the side. Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and James Anderson round off an intimidating fast bowling attack.
Speaking on "The Unplayable Podcast", the Australian said it was difficult for him to leave out veteran India wicketkeeper MS Dhoni. But he justified his decision, saying that his former CSK skipper was pipped by Sangakkara based on the impact in the longest format of the game.
"I wrestled with this one between Kumar Sangakkara, MS Dhoni and AB de Villiers. But I think the latter two have got more impact in the shorter formats T20s and ODI. Sangakkara had immense impact in Test cricket," the southpaw said.
Hussey, who was part of a dominant Australian side, believes "high quality training" was a major factor behind the team's success.
"Seeing the current team train now, the high quality training probably sets up apart from the other countries certainly the West Indies. Have seen a couple of their training session and they are much more relaxed. I think that has played an important part in Australia's success in the past," he asserted.
Mike Hussey's 'Best of Enemies' XI:
Virender Sehwag, Graeme Smith, Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, James Anderson, Muttiah Muralitharan.
(With PTI inputs)
