Kohli and Root Miss Out in All-Time India-England Test XI
Talk about a selection bombshell—Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton, two voices that carry serious weight in English cricket, just named their ultimate combined India-England Test XI since 2000. Even with all the hype around modern-day giants, Virat Kohli and Joe Root didn’t make the list. Yes, you read that right. With both players owning record books, their exclusion instantly set social media and cricket forums ablaze.
This isn’t just headline-chasing. Hussain and Atherton looked past sheer numbers. Their focus was squarely on impact—especially in those high-stakes, pressure-cooker India-England Test matches that decide careers and etch legends. They wanted cricketers who didn’t just pad stats but actually changed games, series, and sometimes the mood across stadiums.
Why These Names Made the Cut—and Why Some Didn’t
At the top, there’s no argument with Virender Sehwag and Alastair Cook walking out to open. Sehwag was nuclear when he got going, and Cook’s consistency is the stuff of folklore, especially against the world’s best attacks. Middle order? Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar—no further explanation needed. Joining them is Kevin Pietersen, who always made England-India clashes feel spiky, dramatic, and unpredictable.
Ben Stokes at number six? It feels almost routine these days, but his ability to swing matches with both bat and ball puts him ahead of other contenders. For wicketkeeper, Rishabh Pant edged out Matt Prior—not just for his lightning hands, but the way he flips Tests on their head in a session, as seen in famous Gabba and Oval knockouts.
The bowling attack blends fire and brains: Ravichandran Ashwin brings guile and bite, Jasprit Bumrah unleashes pace and pinpoint accuracy. Then there are England’s long-serving workhorses: James Anderson, who could find swing in a desert, and Stuart Broad, capable of destroying line-ups before the crowd finishes their tea.
It’s the names missing that have everyone talking, though. Kohli—usually first on the team sheet—was apparently sidelined because his best knocks haven’t always shifted the balance in these specific India-England encounters. Hussain put it bluntly: it’s about who made the biggest splash when these two cricketing giants met, not just their global reputations.
And Root? He’s often the lone warrior for England during tough stretches, but the middle order was crowded, and the panel favored balance over sentiment. They also admitted missing a qualified captain in this mix, noting that Andrew Strauss was “considered,” but didn’t fit in this ultra-competitive XI.
So what does the final team look like? Here’s the dream line-up:
- Virender Sehwag (India)
- Alastair Cook (England)
- Rahul Dravid (India)
- Sachin Tendulkar (India)
- Kevin Pietersen (England)
- Ben Stokes (England)
- Rishabh Pant (India) – wicketkeeper
- Ravichandran Ashwin (India)
- James Anderson (England)
- Stuart Broad (England)
- Jasprit Bumrah (India)
No place for Kohli or Root might sting fans, but you can’t deny the chosen eleven’s sheer match-winning power and flair. It’s a squad designed not just to play Tests, but to decide them.