Best current Test XI - draft selection

[Rogue 585]

Round 5, pick 39 - Mitchell Starc (Aust)

Fancy resting him from the Boxing Day Test; every kids dream Test.

Thanks Rogue for updating above update post.

No problems.

I don't mind your picks so far, H_T. Our teams are balanced a little differently so far - I have a spinner, you have an extra batsman - but it's shaping for an interesting match-up.

Now it's titan 'on the snake' with two picks.

[H_T 2,941]

UPDATE:Round One

pick 1 - Jacques Kallis (RSA) - Rogue

pick 2 - Michael Clarke (Aust) - thepassenger

pick 3 - Kumar Sangakkara (SL) - 45HG16

pick 4 - David Warner (Aust) - Biffen

pick 5 - Hashim Amla (RSA) - Macca

pick 6 - Alistair Cook (England) - Tall Defence

pick 7 - Dale Steyn (RSA) - H_T

pick 8 - Rangana Herath (SL) - titan_uranus

Round Two

pick 9 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) - titan_uranus

pick 10 - AB de Villiers (RSA) - H_T

pick 11 - Morne Morkel (RSA) - Tall Defence

pick 12 - Saeed Ajmal (Pak) - Macca

pick 13 - Mahela Jayawardene - (SL) - Biffen

pick 14 - Vernon Philander (RSA) - 45HG16

pick 15 - Jimmy Anderson (Eng) - thepassenger

pick 16 - Graeme Swann (Eng) - Rogue

Round Three

pick 17 - Peter Siddle (Aust) - Rogue

pick 18 - MS Dhoni (Ind) - thepassenger

pick 19 - Kevin Pietersen (Eng) - 45HG16

pick 20 - James Pattinson (Aust) - Biffen

pick 21 - Matt Prior (Eng) - Macca

pick 22 - Ravichandran Ashwin (Ind) - Tall Defence

pick 23 - Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) - H_T

pick 24 - Steven Finn (Eng) - titan_uranus

Round Four

pick 25 - Mohammed Hafeez (Pak) - titan_uranus

pick 26 - Jonathan Trott (Eng) - H_T

pick 27 - Virender Sehwag (India) - Tall Defence

pick 28 - Graeme Smith (RSA) - Macca

pick 29 - Stuart Broad (Eng) - Biffen

pick 30 - Pragyan Ojha (Ind) - 45HG16

pick 31 - Ross Taylor (NZ) - thepassenger

pick 32 - Kemar Roach (WI) - Rogue

Round Five

pick 33 - Chris Gayle (WI) - Rogue

pick 34 - Darren Bravo (WI) - thepassenger

pick 35 - Azhar Ali (Pak) - 45HG16

pick 36 - Ishant Sharma (Ind) - Biffen

pick 37 - Daniel Vettori (NZ) - Macca

pick 38 - Younis Khan (Pak) - Tall Defence

pick 39 - Mitchell Starc (Aust) - H_T

pick 40 - Cheteshwar Pujara (Ind) - titan_uranus

Round Six

pick 41 - Alviro Petersen (RSA) - titan_uranus

pick 42 - Tillerkaratne Dilshan (SL) - H_T

pick 43 - Abdur Rehman (Pakistan) - Tall Defence

pick 44 - Shane Watson (Aus) - Macca

pick 45 - Brendan McCullum (NZ) - Biffen

pick 46 - Tim Southee (NZ) - 45HG16

pick 47 - thepassenger

pick 48 - Rogue

No problems.I don't mind your picks so far, H_T. Our teams are balanced a little differently so far - I have a spinner, you have an extra batsman - but it's shaping for an interesting match-up.Now it's titan 'on the snake' with two picks.

Yes, and Titan 'on the snake' had an interesting strategy from the beginning. It will be interesting to see how it pans out 'at the death.'

He's probably sweating already ...

Edited February 2, 2013 by Rogue
Picks 40-46

[Rogue 585]

I might comment on that after he makes his two picks.

Anyone watching the ODI game at the moment?

If you still need a player from the Caribbean, you might want to pick up Extras (WI) - top scorer at the moment.

[Little Richard 5,907]

I was looking forward to watching after work... doesn't look like there'll be anything to see by 6.

[titan_uranus 22,923]

Pick 40 - Cheteshwar Pujara (India)

Pick 41 - Alviro Petersen (RSA)

My man Hafeez, my opening batsman, last night took 4-for against the Proteas. Broke the de Villiers-du Plessis partnership. Golden arm. Tick.

[H_T 2,941]

Round 6 pick 42 Tillerkaratne Dilshan (SL)

[MadAsHell 4,089]

Round 6, Pick 43

Abdur Rehman (Pakistan)

http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/39091.html

Yes I know he's not playing in their current test match but he's often in the XI and only doesn't play if conditions don't suit two spinners. I figured if I have two Indians then I need two Pakistanis to balance team harmony out....

[Macca 16,174]

Ishant Sharma (The Far East)

Round 6, pick 44

Shane Watson (Oz)

Over to you, Biff

[Biffen 12,453]

Brundun Maccullum ( Noo Zulland)

Corriction:Brendon McCullum (NZ)

Edited February 2, 2013 by Biffen

[45HG 1,539]

Tim Southee (NZ)

[Biffen 12,453]

HT ,

Just looking at your team ,which is very solid .

Is Sachin only retired from 1 day stuff?

I like the look of The Passengers' team and Rogue has some battle hardened types in his.

[H_T 2,941]

HT ,

Just looking at your team ,which is very solid .

Is Sachin only retired from 1 day stuff?

I like the look of The Passengers' team and Rogue has some battle hardened types in his.

Yes mate. He retired from ODI on the 23rd Dec 2012 to focus on Tests.

http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/sachin/news/item/201087-sachin-tendulkar-announces-retirement-from-odis

PS. Good pick up in McCullum.

Like what the passenger has picked to date, now for his next pick...

[Little Richard 5,907]

Mitchell Johnson, bit of X factor.

[Rogue 585]

Pick 48 - Misbah-ul-haq (PAK)

Captaincy material.

Pick 49 - Chandimal (SL)

Every team needs a promising young player or two.

A good time to tick some countries off the list while I still liked what was left...

[Little Richard 5,907]

Gautam Gambhir, India.

Edit: spelling.

Edited February 3, 2013 by the passenger

[45HG 1,539]

I'm thinking Stafanie Taylor for my WI pick but will have to do a bit more research!

[45HG 1,539]

Ben Hilfenhaus (Aus)

[MadAsHell 4,089]

I'm thinking Stafanie Taylor for my WI pick but will have to do a bit more research!

If only she can get that first test match cap, she'd be all yours 45HG!

[H_T 2,941]

NEW UPDATE:

Round One

pick 1 - Jacques Kallis (RSA) - Rogue

pick 2 - Michael Clarke (Aust) - thepassenger

pick 3 - Kumar Sangakkara (SL) - 45HG16

pick 4 - David Warner (Aust) - Biffen

pick 5 - Hashim Amla (RSA) - Macca

pick 6 - Alistair Cook (England) - Tall Defence

pick 7 - Dale Steyn (RSA) - H_T

pick 8 - Rangana Herath (SL) - titan_uranus

Round Two

pick 9 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) - titan_uranus

pick 10 - AB de Villiers (RSA) - H_T

pick 11 - Morne Morkel (RSA) - Tall Defence

pick 12 - Saeed Ajmal (Pak) - Macca

pick 13 - Mahela Jayawardene - (SL) - Biffen

pick 14 - Vernon Philander (RSA) - 45HG16

pick 15 - Jimmy Anderson (Eng) - thepassenger

pick 16 - Graeme Swann (Eng) - Rogue

Round Three

pick 17 - Peter Siddle (Aust) - Rogue

pick 18 - MS Dhoni (Ind) - thepassenger

pick 19 - Kevin Pietersen (Eng) - 45HG16

pick 20 - James Pattinson (Aust) - Biffen

pick 21 - Matt Prior (Eng) - Macca

pick 22 - Ravichandran Ashwin (Ind) - Tall Defence

pick 23 - Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) - H_T

pick 24 - Steven Finn (Eng) - titan_uranus

Round Four

pick 25 - Mohammed Hafeez (Pak) - titan_uranus

pick 26 - Jonathan Trott (Eng) - H_T

pick 27 - Virender Sehwag (India) - Tall Defence

pick 28 - Graeme Smith (RSA) - Macca

pick 29 - Stuart Broad (Eng) - Biffen

pick 30 - Pragyan Ojha (Ind) - 45HG16

pick 31 - Ross Taylor (NZ) - thepassenger

pick 32 - Kemar Roach (WI) - Rogue

Round Five

pick 33 - Chris Gayle (WI) - Rogue

pick 34 - Darren Bravo (WI) - thepassenger

pick 35 - Azhar Ali (Pak) - 45HG16

pick 36 - Ishant Sharma (Ind) - Biffen

pick 37 - Daniel Vettori (NZ) - Macca

pick 38 - Younis Khan (Pak) - Tall Defence

pick 39 - Mitchell Starc (Aust) - H_T

pick 40 - Cheteshwar Pujara (Ind) - titan_uranus

Round Six

pick 41 - Alviro Petersen (RSA) - titan_uranus

pick 42 - Tillerkaratne Dilshan (SL) - H_T

pick 43 - Abdur Rehman (Pakistan) - Tall Defence

pick 44 - Shane Watson (Aus) - Macca

pick 45 - Brendan McCullum (NZ) - Biffen

pick 46 - Tim Southee (NZ) - 45HG16

pick 47 - Mitchell Johnson (Aust) - the passenger

pick 48 - Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak) - Rogue

Round Seven

pick 49 - Chandimal (SL) - Rogue

pick 50 - Gautam Gambhir (Ind) - the passenger

pick 51 - Ben Hilfenhaus (Aust) - 45HG16

pick 52 - Biffen

pick 53 - Macca

pick 54 - Tall Defence

pick 55 - H_T

pick 56 - titan_uranus

Nice to see my man Dale Steyn rip the Paki's apart with 6/8 off 8.1 overs. Not to mention M.Starc's continuation of his hot streak summer yesterday at the WACA in the ODI....

[Rogue 585]

Nice to see my man Dale Steyn rip the Paki's apart with 6/8 off 8.1 overs. Not to mention M.Starc's continuation of his hot streak summer yesterday at the WACA in the ODI....

I couldn't overlook Kallis in the first round, but Steyn is a great bowler; I'm a fan.

[H_T 2,941]

I couldn't overlook Kallis in the first round, but Steyn is a great bowler; I'm a fan.

Fwiw, had I had pick one I think Kallis would have been a short priced favourite to be in my team, too.

What a record. I couldn't pass Sachin up in the third round either. Although he's averaged around 30 with the bat in the ODI's of late, his Test record and form has been relatively good - although just a 76 against England recently in their series was about as productive as he could be. But his record is just, wow.

Interestingly the likes of India and Pakistan have played very few Test Matches of late compared to other Test playing nations. - I don't have the breakdown on numbers at hand but this was mentioned on 774ABC recently. Thought I'd mention that. I can understand Pakistan's predicament of late, but when India was mentioned I was surprised.

[Rogue 585]

Fwiw, had I had pick one I think Kallis would have been a short priced favourite to be in my team, too.

What a record. I couldn't pass Sachin up in the third round either. Although he's averaged around 30 with the bat in the ODI's of late, his Test record and form has been relatively good - although just a 76 against England recently in their series was about as productive as he could be. But his record is just, wow.

Interestingly the likes of India and Pakistan have played very few Test Matches of late compared to other Test playing nations. - I don't have the breakdown on numbers at hand but this was mentioned on 774ABC recently. Thought I'd mention that. I can understand Pakistan's predicament of late, but when India was mentioned I was surprised.

Tendulkar was a great player, but I actually thought you went a little early on him. I had a look and he averaged just 24 from 15 bats in Tests last year (two 50s; no 100s). I've liked most of your picks, but I think I would have rated Trott and even Dilshan - your round four and six picks - more highly than Sachin in this draft. Tendulkar's record certainly is stellar though.

India follow the money, sadly, so they don't play a great deal of Test cricket. It's a shame.

[H_T 2,941]

Tendulkar was a great player, but I actually thought you went a little early on him. I had a look and he averaged just 24 from 15 bats in Tests last year (two 50s; no 100s). I've liked most of your picks, but I think I would have rated Trott and even Dilshan - your round four and six picks - more highly than Sachin in this draft. Tendulkar's record certainly is stellar though.

India follow the money, sadly, so they don't play a great deal of Test cricket. It's a shame.

Yeah perhaps you're probably right with Trott. However, my next pick was at 39 and I thought ST would definitely be gone by then. Matchwinners don't grow on trees and the next best to the Don is hard to come by.

[Rogue 585]

Yeah perhaps you're probably right with Trott. However, my next pick was at 39 and I thought ST would definitely be gone by then. Matchwinners don't grow on trees and the next best to the Don is hard to come by.

Right now I reckon they both win about the same number of Tests

(Just in case you're considering it, Biffen, the Don is ineligible).

[H_T 2,941]

Right now I reckon they both win about the same number of Tests .

Ouch. Harsh on Sachin. He's one good innings away from his 52nd Test hundred.