Aakash Chopra, a former Indian opener, has selected his Test XI for the year 2021, which includes four players from India, two players each from England, New Zealand, and Pakistan, and one player from Sri Lanka. To be considered for inclusion in his XI, Chopra said that the sole criteria were how well they performed in the year 2021.
With Sri Lankan Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne opening alongside Indian opener Rohit Sharma, and England and New Zealand captains Joe Root and Kane Williamson at Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, he selected a strong lineup.
“Rohit Sharma is the first name that comes to mind. It was a pivotal year for him since it was the year he discovered the longest format. Whether it was the century in Chennai or the constant performances in England, he played wonderful cricket,” Chopra said of Rohit.
“My second opener is Dimuth Karunaratne of Sri Lanka. He’s also accomplished runs that include a century and a half. He was also doing well against the West Indies,” said Chopra. While picking his other opener, he noted, “He may not be the most appealing on the eye, but he scores runs.
At No. 3, there was no competition. It’s Joe Root. He is far and away from the finest Test batter in the year 2021. He’s just in a different league than the rest of the others. Whether it was the double century in India or the century in Sri Lanka, he provided tremendous performances,” the former cricketer said about Root, who was by far the leading scorer in the format this year.
Chopra then went on to choose New Zealand’s Williamson as his fourth pick, saying, “At No.4, I have Williamson. He struck a double century against Pakistan, ensuring that his side would go to the final. In addition, he had a critical knock in the final. Kane Williamson is also the team’s captain.”
Rishabh Pant will serve as the wicket-keeper and James Anderson will be the leader of the fast bowling attack
Chopra praised Pakistan’s middle-order batter, Fawad Alam, for his tenacity and perseverance, and named him to his XI as the No. 5 batsman in the lineup. “Fawad Alam is a member of my team. It is a narrative of perseverance, in that he will continue to play whether or not you choose him. He has amassed significant runs, with the most notable being 109 against South Africa, 140 against Zimbabwe, and 124 against the West Indies,” says Chopra.
Rishabh Pant, the Indian wicketkeeper, was selected as the gloveman in his XI by Aakash Chopra. “The wicket-keeper’s name is Rishabh Pant. I was thinking of Jos Buttler as well, but I think nobody is close to Pant this year. Those are the kinds of performances Rishabh Pant has put in — a century against England, an 89 at the Gabba, and a ninety in Sydney. He has done an outstanding job.”
His all-rounders include Kyle Jamieson, who is a seam-bowling all-rounder, and Ravichandran Ashwin, who is a spin all-rounder and is also the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket in 2021. “Following that, I’ve decided on Jamieson. It seemed as if he was destined to play Test cricket. He gets five wickets with a simple roll of his arm. It seems like he has taken wickets everywhere; this kid is just exceptional, and he can also bat.
After that, I’m going to choose two Indians. I’m talking about Ravichandran Ashwin, who has taken many wickets. In the match versus England in India, he was outstanding. In addition, he scored a century against England. The fact that he is Test cricket’s number one spinner is without dispute,” he went on to say.
South African spinner Keshav Maharaj was in contention, according to Chopra, but India’s Axar Patel was chosen ahead of him in the final selection process. “I considered Keshav Maharaj, but ultimately decided on Axar Patel. Against England, he was unplayable and unbelievable in his first series as a Test cricketer. Naturally, he gets fewer opportunities, but he takes advantage of them whenever he has the chance to do so. If you have to pick a debutant of the year, he will be the one you choose.
Aakash selected two fast bowlers in addition to Jamieson, one of whom is the veteran James Anderson and the other is the Pakistan teenager Shaheen Shah Afridi. “Jimmy Anderson was the most successful pace bowler in the world this year, with 32 wickets. He performed well in India, claimed a five-wicket haul in Sri Lanka, and performed admirably against India at home.
The last but not least, I have Shaheen Afridi in my team. His efforts so far this year have been outstanding. He was also getting five-wicket hauls, similar to Axar’s record. It will also benefit a team to have a left-arm since he is tall and tries to swing the ball by pitching it up,” concluded Chopra.
Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins did not find a place in Chopra’s XI
The omissions of Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah from his XI was one of the most talked-about aspects of his team.
Kohli’s absence was explained by Chopra, who noted that Kohli has scored runs, but they haven’t been translated into significant scores in cricket that he has played so far in 2021.
“This XI is devoid of Virat Kohli. In terms of 2021, he has not amassed many runs. His run totals were low even though he played in all but one game in the Australia series because of his absence,” Chopra made the statement in a YouTube video.
India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins, Australia’s leading paceman and current Test captain, were both left out of the XI selected by Chopra.
On December 26, India will face South Africa in a three-match Test series, with captain Virat Kohli taking the reins.
After the Test series, both sides will play three one-day internationals, with Rohit Sharma taking Kohli’s place as India’s permanent white-ball captain.
Aakash Chopra’s 2021 Test XI: Rohit Sharma, Dimuth Karunaratne, Joe Root, Kane Williamson (c), Fawad Alam, Rishabh Pant, Kyle Jamieson, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, James Anderson, Shaheen Afridi
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