It has been like a dream for several cricket fans across the world that how wonderful had it been only if we could have formed a perfect lot by blending the Indian and the Australian cricketers in one team for a T-20 match. The combined set of players wouldn’t have just been an impressive bunch of appelations but an invincible unit which could have challenged the might of any T-20 cricketing contingency in any intergalactic fray, if there was one.
We will look at a team of eleven cricketers from India and Australia combined, who could have made the most perfect fantasy eleven for T-20 cricket.
Openers:
Rohit Sharma and Matthew Hayden:
With a glittering record of 2713 T-20 international runs and a capability to hammer down the pacers resorting to the aerial routes, exploiting the fielding restrictions in the initial stage of the game to the utmost, Sharma was the obvious choice to open the innings.
Despite playing only 9 T-20 internationals, Haydos is one of the most destructive batsmen that the game has ever seen. The first one to deploy a mongoose bat in T-20 cricket, the Australian southpaw was the one who spearheaded his nation in mounting stinging pressure on the Indians in the 2007 World T-20 semi-final.
3. Virat Kohli
The best number three at the moment, Kohli has an innate flair of smashing runs even in the most adverse situations. Known for his prolific run-scoring prowess against the best of the world, Kohli has won several matches for India conjuring magic with his bat. Things get even better for the run-machine when his team is chasing as he is deemed as one of the most successful batsmen in international cricket while chasing.
With 2794 T-20 international runs at a staggering average of 50.80, Kohli sets up the perfect batting for this team of superheroes.
4. Yuvraj Singh:
The man who steered India’s boat in the uncharted territory of T-20 cricket in the maiden T-20 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh is always the hot contender for the number four slot. Gifted with an ability to consign the ball out of the park with a mere flick of his wrists, Yuvi is an unputdownable all-rounder in the ranks of any cricketing side that he has been a part of. Also if you are planning to charge him up a bit with your volley of words, I hope you will do well to remember Stuart Broad’s fate in the T-20 World Cup quarter-finals.
His tally of international T-20 runs isn’t very promising though, owing to his deep position in the order but on his heyday, this man can destroy any given opposition with zero mercy.
5. Andrew Symonds
Another Australian giant in the middle order with a penchant for Hulk-esque smashing of the bowlers all over the park, Symonds can change the course and complexion of the game with some robust hitting across the park.
His phenomenal fielding prowess also gives him a crucial pedestal over others in cutting down imperative runs under challenging circumstances.
With his cricketing career coming to an abrupt halt due to a muscle rupture in his biceps, Symonds still managed to stage an incredible return to the game despite bowing out shortly thereafter.
6. MS Dhoni (wk) (c):
Known as the best finisher of all time, Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be keeping wickets for this excellent unit. Though it was a tough call between Gilchrist and the former Indian skipper, the World Cup that the latter has to his name acted as a decider.
The day he gets going, nothing seems impossible. With his talismanic ability to smash the balls out of the park at will, Dhoni will also be the one to lead this stupendous set of players.
With 1617 T-20 international runs at a decent average of 37.60, coming deep in the batting order, Dhoni provides a perfect sense of reliability and destruction to the squad.
7. Ravindra Jadeja
Surpassing his batting and bowling flair, Jadeja has currently been hogging the limelight with some phenomenal fielding stunts.
Gifted with the ability to produce remarkable breakthroughs at crucial junctures of the game and also chipping in with instrumental cameos with the bat that equips the team with some valuable runs in the end at a lighting-fast strike rate, Jadeja is an important number 7 in any squad.
8. Brett Lee:
One of the most destructive bowlers of all time known for his searing pace and also some decent batting skills, Brett Lee will be in charge of the bowling unit of this league of extraordinary gentlemen.
He was also the first bowler to notch up an international T-20 hattrick that came against Bangladesh.
9. Mitchell Starc
Currently Australia’s best pace bowler who has showcased extraordinary class with his sublime swingers that took an inexplicable trajectory before rattling the timbre is coming at number 9.
Not pretty cool with the bat in his hand, Starc has produced deliveries unparalleled by any bowler of this era, that has not just struck the block hole with some crazy movements but his scorching pace has left the batsmen unravelled even when he had his eyes set.
Deliveries that claimed Stokes in the World Cup and James Vince in the Ashes showed impossible movement at a pace of 145 plus kays. These numbers attest to the brilliance of Mitchell Starc.
10. Jasprit Bumrah:
Touted as the best fast bowler in international cricket at the moment, Bumrah becomes an automatic choice for this team.
With nerve-wrecking yorkers being bowled at 140+ kays, he makes life a living hell for batsmen. He is also a crucial figure throughout the innings due to his ability to challenge the might of a set batsman.
11. Kuldeep Yadav:
India’s recent rising sensation in the shorter version of the game, Kuldeep Yadav’s chinaman bowling provides a sense of ineffable excellence along the spinning lines.
Also gifted with a knack of notching up scalps regularly, Yadav can be a major force that can dismantle an opposition into bits and pieces on his heyday.
