Picking an all-time or current XI is never an easy exercise, especially when several players have produced outstanding performances during the same period. Aakash Chopra recently faced that dilemma while selecting his ultimate World Test XI, with his choices sparking plenty of debate. The former India batter based his selection on performances in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, picking players from India, Australia, England and the West Indies.

No place for Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jasprit Bumrah

The biggest talking points from Chopra’s selection are the omissions of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jasprit Bumrah. Chopra explained that he preferred Head over Jaiswal because of the Indian opener’s recent dip in form. Bumrah was also left out because Chopra was focusing on numbers from the current WTC cycle.

He pointed out that the Indian pacer has missed a considerable amount of cricket, while the flat pitches on the England tour also affected the numbers of the fast bowlers. Mohammed Siraj was another notable omission, with Chopra opting for Mitchell Starc, Josh Tongue and Shamar Joseph instead. Chopra’s XI therefore reflects a numbers-based approach, rather than simply selecting the biggest names in Test cricket.

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Aakash Chopra’s ultimate World Test XI

Chopra went with Travis Head and KL Rahul as his opening pair. Head has scored 914 runs in 10 matches, including three centuries, while Rahul has accumulated 931 runs in 11 matches, with three centuries. Joe Root occupies No. 3 after scoring 1,202 runs in 15 matches, including five centuries. Shubman Gill follows at No. 4, having amassed 1,024 runs in 10 matches at an average of 68.26, with five hundreds.

Harry Brook takes the No. 5 spot after scoring 1,196 runs in 15 matches. Rishabh Pant was selected as the wicketkeeper at No. 6, with the Indian batter scoring 696 runs in eight matches, including two centuries. Ben Stokes and Ravindra Jadeja form the all-rounder combination. Stokes has scored 545 runs and taken 39 wickets in 11 matches, while Jadeja has contributed 790 runs and 33 wickets.

The pace attack features Starc, Tongue and Joseph. Starc and Tongue have both taken 58 wickets in the current cycle, while Joseph has claimed 35 wickets in seven matches.

Aakash Chopra’s ultimate World Test XI: Travis Head, KL Rahul, Joe Root, Shubman Gill, Harry Brook, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ben Stokes, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Starc, Josh Tongue and Shamar Joseph.

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