Picking an all captains playing XI in Test cricket ft. Virat Kohli, Ricky Ponting 

Captaincy is an art, but red-ball captaincy in particular is a whole different ball game. Scoping out a contest that could pan out five days, and assessing the game session by session is not a task for the weak.

Cricket has shown that only born leaders with a thirst for success can be successful red-ball captains. Being the best skill-wise does not guarantee a prolific captaincy career, because leadership is much more than that.

There are a lot of other factors to be considered as well, especially what team the captain inherited, and in what state the team was left in upon departure. Furthermore, the overseas record is also a crucial point whenever captaincy is assessed.

On that note, let us pick an all-captains playing XI in Test cricket.

Top Order - Alastair Cook, Graeme Smith and Ricky Ponting

England's greatest-ever Test captain, and one of the finest opening batters in red-ball cricket, Alastair Cook, deserves a certain mention for his accomplishments. He led in 59 Tests from 2010 to 2016, overseeing an important phase in English cricket. He has 24 wins as captain, with a win percentage of 40.67.

Graeme Smith had to take over South Africa's captaincy at a young age and during a testing time. Despite the turmoil, the opening batter braved the odds to become one of the greatest captains that the game has ever seen. He led in 109 Tests, which is the highest for any captain, and guided the Proteas to 53 wins with a win percentage of 48.62. It was under his captaincy that South Africa climbed to the top of the rankings as well.

Leading Australia in 77 Tests in total, Ricky Ponting left a legacy that is downright impossible to match. He was the talisman of one of the greatest Test teams in history, and that is reflected through the imperious win percentage of 62.33.

Middle Order - Virat Kohli, Steve Waugh, MS Dhoni

A modern-day great, and a born leader, Virat Kohli grew from strength to strength to become India's greatest Test captain. While his record speaks for itself, the way he inculcated a winning mindset into the team, and prioritized fitness and pace bowling development for overseas assignments is still benefiting India. He led in 68 Tests, securing 40 wins with a success rate of 58.82.

Before Ponting, there was Steve Waugh, and he was as imperious as his eventual successor. Steve Waugh laid down the foundation for Australia's greatest Test team. Perhaps one of the most shrewd captains the game has seen, Waugh led Australia in 57 Tests, recording only nine losses, while his win percentage read an astonishing 71.92.

Not many wicket-keepers have gone on to become highly successful Test captains. MS Dhoni is the only glovesman to lead more than 30 times in the longest format. The Indian captain was handed the red-ball captaincy on the back of his white-ball heroics.

While his legacy has been a touch hampered due to some forgettable overseas tours, Dhoni set things rolling as far as India's home dominance is concerned. He largely incorporated the players that played a starring role for years to come. Overall, he led in 60 Tests, recording 27 wins with a success rate of 45.

Lower Order - Imran Khan, Shaun Pollock, Pat Cummins, Richie Benaud, Courtney Walsh

Imran Khan is an imposing figure in Pakistani cricket. A World Cup-winning captain, he tried to translate the same success in the longest format but did not have a team for positive results. He has led Pakistan in the most number of Tests after Misbah-ul-Haq. His 48 Tests as captain resulted in 14 wins and 8 losses, while a staggering 26 Tests ended in a draw.

History shows that not many spinners have been successful captains. The likes of Anil Kumble and Daniel Vettori despite being brilliant assets to the team, were not influential captains and did not have a lengthy stint. One has to revisit the previous generation to find an impactful spin-bowling captain, and that comes in the form of Richie Benaud.

The former Australian spinner led Australia in 28 Tests, registering 12 wins and only four losses, giving him a success rate of 42.85. Australia did not lose a single Test in his reign as captain.

Much like spinners, pacers are also a rare commodity when it comes to red-ball captaincy. However, Pat Cummins is one of the recent examples who has shown that pacers can be able leaders too. A World Test Championship (WTC) triumph, with potentially a second successive one on the way, coupled with a positive Ashes series in England has given Cummins a win percentage of 60.60 after captaining in 33 Tests.

Shaun Pollock did not have a lengthy reign as captain, but it was crucial for South Africa. After being thrust into the role following Hansie Cronje's ban, he led the Proteas in 26 Tests, where 14 of those resulted in wins.

Courtney Walsh led the West Indies midway through the 1990s. Guiding the side in 22 Tests, the right-arm pacer did not necessarily enjoy the same success compared to his pace bowling but trudged through to record six wins in total, which included a draw against India in the subcontinent.