India-Australia combined Best XI from the Test series

After a long wait of 71 years, the Indian cricket team has finally won a Test series on Australian soil. Led by their mesmerizing skipper Virat Kohli, the men in blue secured a 2-1 series win over their Australian counterparts in the four-match Test series. The margin could have been bigger had weather conditions favoured the Indians in Sydney.

It is debatable whether this Indian team is the best ever or not, but even if they are not, Ravi Shastri's team is certainly high up there in the ranking of Indian teams. There were many good performers from the visiting team, while some Australian cricketers also stood firm amidst all the chaos. Let us have a look at the combined best XI of the series, which features seven Indians and four Aussies.

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#1 Openers - Mayank Agarwal & Marcus Harris

Agarwal solved India's opening conundrum

Things weren't as smooth for Kohli midway through the series as it is now. Though there were not many issues bothering him, the opening conundrum was indeed a big one as both Murali Vijay and KL Rahul were failing to score runs. Mayank Agarwal, who was performing consistently in the domestic circuit, was given an opportunity which he grabbed with both hands. In two matches, Agarwal scored 195 runs at an average of 65. He hit two half-centuries in his debut series.

To partner him, Australia's Marcus Harris is the perfect fit. Harris was an exception in the inconsistent batting lineup of Australia. Opening the innings for Tim Paine's team, the left-hander scored 258 runs in four games at an average of 36. Like Agarwal, he also has got two fifties to his name and is the highest run-scorer for Australia in the series.

#2 Middle-order - Cheteshwar Pujara & Virat Kohli (captain)

Pujara and Kohli was the backbone of the Indian batting lineup

There should not be any questions about the number 3 and number 4, as the consistency shown by Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli in the series is unparalleled. The former is the leading run-scorer of the series with 521 runs in four matches. With three centuries and a half-century, his average is 74. Pujara once again defined why he is a rare breed and is one of the best in the longest format of the game.

Virat Kohli too had a good time with the bat. Though is average of 40 is nearly half of Pujara's average, his 282 runs were extremely vital given the conditions. The Indian skipper added one more century and as many half-centuries to his tally as he looks set to break many records, both as a skipper and as a batsman.

#3 Middle-order - Ajinkya Rahane, Travis Head & Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper)

Pant seems to have secured his place in the Indian Test team

Ajinkya Rahane's stats are anything but not outrageous. However, 'reliable' is the word to use to define his selection. Rahane scored 217 runs in the series which included two fifties. His solid average of 31 gave India some solidity in the middle-order.

Talking about Australia's middle-order, Travis Head had a similar sort of impact. He scored 20 runs more than Rahane but had the same number of half-centuries. However, his contributions were not enough to resuscitate the Australian batting lineup.

There was a time when Kohli, in his search for a Test wicketkeeper, never looked beyond Wriddhiman Saha. But an injury to Saha opened a door for Rishabh Pant and there has been no looking back ever since. With 350 runs, Pant is the second highest run-scorer for the series with an average of nearly 60. He struck one century in this series.

#4 Bowlers - Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Pat Cummins & Nathan Lyon

The Shami-Bumrah pace duo did a great job for the visitors

The biggest reason perhaps for the smile on Indian fans' face is the performance of the pacers. The Indian quicks were right on the money in Australia and Jasprit Bumrah was the leader of the pack. With 21 wickets, he is the joint-highest leading wicket-taker in the series and also the most successful pacer.

Giving him commendable support from the other end was Mohammed Shami. Shami picked up a total of 16 wickets in the series by conceding 419 runs. Like Bumrah, he also picked up a five-for.

The Indian pacers surprisingly outdid the Aussie quicks, but Pat Cummins' performances managed to keep some of the reputation intact. Cummins picked up two wickets less than Shami but also conceded 20 runs less. His spell of 6/27 was the best in an innings in the series.

The only spinner in our team is another Australian, who also was their most successful bowler. In conditions that favoured pacers more than spinners, Nathan Lyon managed to trouble the in-form Indian batters. Lyon picked up 21 wickets in the series and is the only bowler to have two five-wicket hauls.