Top News

Virat Kohli has been named captain of an all-time India Test XI, while Ravindra Jadeja has been left out of a star-studded side featuring some of the country's greatest cricketers. The XI was selected by former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh as India completed their 600th Test match.

Ganesh's selection brings together players from different generations, including Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Kapil Dev and Anil Kumble, alongside modern stars such as Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah.

However, several choices in the XI are likely to spark debate, particularly the decision to make Kohli captain ahead of Kapil Dev, select Pant over MS Dhoni and leave Jadeja out altogether.

Who Picked India's All-Time Test XI?

The all-time XI was picked by former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh following India's landmark 600th Test.

Ganesh, who represented India in Tests and ODIs and later worked in coaching and commentary, did not provide detailed explanations for every selection. He instead shared the names that made his preferred all-time combination.

The XI includes players who span several eras of Indian Test cricket, making comparisons between generations inevitable.

Virat Kohli Named Captain Ahead Of Kapil Dev

One of the most notable decisions is Ganesh's choice of Virat Kohli as captain.

Kohli led India through one of their strongest periods in Test cricket and played a major role in building India's reputation as a formidable side overseas. Under his leadership, India regularly competed at the top level in the longest format.

However, the XI also contains Kapil Dev, the captain who led India to their maiden ODI World Cup title in 1983.

Despite Kapil's historic achievement as India's World Cup-winning captain, Ganesh handed the leadership role to Kohli.

Kapil remains an important part of the XI, but his role is that of an all-rounder rather than captain.

Kohli Pushed Down To No.5

Ganesh's batting order also makes for an interesting discussion.

He selected Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag as the opening pair, followed by Rahul Dravid at No.3 and Sachin Tendulkar at No.4.

That pushes Kohli down to No.5 despite his remarkable Test career.

The top order is therefore:

Sunil Gavaskar
Virender Sehwag
Rahul Dravid
Sachin Tendulkar
Virat Kohli (captain)

The combination places four of India's most celebrated Test batters ahead of Kohli, while still giving the former captain a prominent place in the middle order.

Rishabh Pant Picked Over MS Dhoni

Another major talking point is the wicketkeeper's position.

Ganesh selected Rishabh Pant as the wicketkeeper-batter, leaving out former India captain MS Dhoni and legendary wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani.

Pant's aggressive batting style and his ability to change the course of Test matches make him an understandable choice in a modern all-time XI.

However, the decision remains debatable given Dhoni's achievements with both the bat and gloves and his success as India's Test captain.

Ganesh did not give a specific reason for choosing Pant over Dhoni.

Ravindra Jadeja Missing As Ashwin Makes XI

The biggest omission from a modern perspective is arguably Ravindra Jadeja.

Ganesh selected Ravichandran Ashwin as the spin-bowling all-rounder alongside Kapil Dev, leaving no place for Jadeja.

Ashwin is one of India's greatest Test spinners and finished his international career with more than 500 Test wickets. His batting also developed into a major asset, particularly in India's home conditions.

Jadeja, meanwhile, has established himself as one of India's most effective Test all-rounders, combining left-arm spin with reliable lower-order batting.

The two have often been compared because of their ability to contribute in both departments, making Jadeja's omission one of the most noticeable aspects of the XI.

Kumble, Srinath And Bumrah Complete Bowling Attack

Ganesh selected Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath and Jasprit Bumrah as the specialist bowlers.

Kumble is India's leading wicket-taker in Test cricket and one of the greatest leg-spinners in the history of the game.

Srinath represents India's previous generation of fast bowlers and was one of the country's most reliable pace options during the 1990s and early 2000s.

Bumrah provides the modern-day presence in the pace attack. His ability to bowl with pace, movement and accuracy across conditions has made him one of India's most influential Test bowlers.

With Ashwin and Kumble providing spin and Kapil, Srinath and Bumrah offering pace options, the XI has considerable variety despite being heavily weighted towards batting.

India's All-Time Test XI Selected By Dodda Ganesh

Ganesh's complete XI is:

Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag. Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli (captain), Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Kapil Dev, Ravichandran Ashwin, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, and Jasprit Bumrah

The selection brings together six generations of Indian Test cricket and leaves plenty for fans to debate.

The biggest talking points are clear: Kohli gets the captaincy despite Kapil's 1983 World Cup triumph, Pant gets the wicketkeeping gloves ahead of Dhoni, and Ashwin gets the all-rounder's spot ahead of Jadeja.