Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has picked his Test team of the decade. Ponting has selected current Indian captain Virat Kohli as the leader of the side and interestingly, Kohli is the solitary Indian player in Ponting’s team. David Warner and Alastair Cook, the two southpaws, are the openers in Ponting’s Test team of the decade.
Cook is the leading run-getter of the decade with 8818 runs as he scored at an average of 46.41. Warner scored 7044 runs at an average of 48.21 in the 83 Test matches he played in this decade.
Ponting picks a potent side.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson bats at number three for Ponting. The right-hander scored 6379 runs at 51.44 in the 78 Test matches of the decade. Former Australian captain Steven Smith, who is currently the best Test batsman, gets a place in the Ponting team as he scored 7164 runs at an impressive average of 62.84 in the 72 matches.
Indian captain Virat Kohli who is the most consistent batsman in all the three forms of the game leads Ponting’s side as he scored 7202 runs in 84 Test matches at an average of 54.97.
Former Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara is the wicketkeeper of the team. The flamboyant batsman scored 4851 runs in the 47 matches at an average of 61.40. Ben Stokes who played the knock of the decade at Headingley against Australia in the Ashes is the all-rounder in the side. Stokes scored 3787 runs in 60 matches and scalped 139 wickets for England.
Former South African gun pacer Dale Steyn who troubled the world-class batsmen with his pace and swing gets a place in the side. Steyn took 267 wickets in the decade 59 matches he played. Nathan Lyon is the sole spinner in the side as he claimed 380 wickets in 95 matches.
England’s veteran fast bowlers Stuart Broad and James Anderson are the other two pacers in the side. Anderson and Broad finished as the top wicket-takers of the decade as they scalped 429 and 403 wickets respectively. Ponting picks AB de Villiers as his 12th man in the side.
Here is Ponting Test XI of the decade:
Everyone's picking teams of the decade so I thought I'd join in the fun. This would be my Test team of the 2010's:
David Warner
Alastair Cook
Kane Williamson
Steve Smith
Virat Kohli (c)
Kumar Sangakkarra (wk)
Ben Stokes
Dale Steyn
Nathan Lyon
Stuart Broad
James Anderson— Ricky Ponting AO (@RickyPonting) December 30, 2019