Wisden has come out again with its list of Test side in world. Looking in the side: Virender Sehwag, Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Kevin Pietersen, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Johnson, Dale Steyn, Zaheer Khan
Virender Sehwag has eclipsed Smith for the leading cricketer of the year , but again is more of a chance to bat player. He keeps his head still and strays on loose deliveries. Many people say he treats a ball on merit, but as I see , any thinking captain can get him out cheaply. Vettori proved it. Sehwag does not a big score in the series in NZ in tests, and when seldomly he went rampage, Vettori had his claws back. Sehwag is hungry for runs, and has a strike rate of over 100 in tests, but again fail when needed. Chasing a score of 600+, one might settle for cameo seeing the strong lineup and two more wisden teammates to follow, but throwing a wicket while following on with 300 run deficit. A wicket on which NZ scored 600, and Dravid-Gambhir stood the whole day, Sehwag lost his wicket twice in the same day. His Strike rate was superb, but USELESS . Test is of wits. I would have voted for Gambhir instead this wonderful year with a couple of match saving innings.
Smith : Twice hospitalised with broken bones, was responsible for SA dismal performance against Aus in home. Smith has been metal strong and very tough mentally, but physically Johnson broke him. He is still the captain and suits this Wisden side.
Ricky Ponting: I still think Wisden is not so elite anymore. A voting panel has to increase in size. It is not the best of Ponting , and no rebates are offered on previous year performance. Only because of his century against India, and having no clue against the bowling. Watch cricket a bit more closely Wisden voters, if Ponting was less scratchy against spin this time, he was cluesless against a newbie Ishant Sharma. Ishant bowled out Ponting so many times, that spinners didnt have a chance to beat him. Well, the team is out and we go by it. Though this again is a big NO from me to be in the BEST test side this year. Instead , i would have loved to see Chris Gayle in his place. He has plundered the opposite attack like playing against school kids. But sadly , no one representing the West Indies here to put his name forward.
Sachin Tendulkar: huh ! you made it again . I think now we should reserve a player or retire him from List and put him in Hall of fame. 20 years down the lane he is still in that list with the most energetic players existing. His performance is still better than many, and in many matches when he has not played , India have been on losing side. The T20 champs lost both the T20 matches in NZ .
Kevin - Full of promise , enthusiasm and marred by English cricket. The English is said to be home of Cricket, but this South African is only cricketer from England to make a mark in the list. He has been another promise of 2005 Ashes , and still a promise. Supernova like Monty came and left , and I am pretty sure , Kevin still has a gem of an innings down under due in near future.
Chanderpaul - I had always thought this person works against India, but in last couple of years, English will remember him more than any other. He has taken the one sided matches in the stride. He has been instrumental in West Indian fight back to the world scenario with likes of Ramnaresh, Gayle and Powell.
MS Dhoni is continuing the good work started by Ganguly, stabilized by Kumble and Dravid. He is now capitalizing on the in-form selected team , an overcharged and bullish young blood taking the world by raw cricket power, backed up by the finance giant BCCI. Indians have come a long way from being underdogs to become the master of the game. The way English were mauled in ODIs, Lankans were tamed in the own country, and New Zealand made hapless is the symbol of the power this person has transformed the team India into. An obvious choice.
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