Picking the best right-handed Test playing 11 of the 21st century ft. Virender Sehwag, Dale Steyn

The 21st century has witnessed some amazing right-handed players display their talent in Test cricket - from Sachin Tendulkar to Virat Kohli and Shane Warne to Dale Steyn among many others. If we look at upcoming cricketers, England's Harry Brook and West Indies' Shamar Joseph are some of the youngsters who are touted for big things in the near future.

While any Test XI is incomplete without left-handers, it is also a fact that right-handers form the majority of any international side irrespective of the format. The simple reason behind it is the fact that batting and bowling right-handed comes naturally for most cricketers from a young age.

The list of right-handed match-winners in the 21st century is a big one. Still, we tried to put together the best right-handed Test playing 11 of the 21st century.

(Note: All stats starting January 1, 2001)

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Top-order: Virender Sehwag, Marvan Atapattu and Ricky Ponting (c)

Ricky Ponting would captain the best right-handed Test playing 11 of the 21st century. (Image Credits: Getty Images)

India's Virender Sehwag and Sri Lanka's Marvan Atapattu would be the openers in the best right-handed Test playing 11 of the 21st century. Few players dominated Test cricket like Sehwag did in the 2000s. His destructive strokeplay combined with Atapattu's resilience and technical brilliance with the willow would complement each other really well.

From 2001 to 2013, Sehwag featured in 99 Test matches and amassed 8,207 runs at an average of 50.04 and a strike rate of 83.10, with 22 hundreds and 30 fifties. The stats include his career-best of 319, which came against South Africa in Chennai. As for Atapattu, he played 48 Tests from 2001 to 2007, scoring 3,308 runs at an average of 43.52, with 11 hundreds and 10 fifties.

It was a really tough choice between Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid for the No. 3 spot in the best right-handed Test playing 11 of the 21st century. Eventually, the nod went to the former Aussie captain. From 2001 to 2012, Ponting played 130 Tests and amassed 10,968 runs at an average of 53.24, with 34 hundreds and 51 fifties. He would also captain the right-handed Test playing 11 of the 21st century.

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Middle-order: Sachin Tendulkar, Joe Root, Jacques Kallis and Brendon McCullum (wk)

Team India’s batting legend Sachin Tendulkar (Image Credits: Getty Images)

Again, a number of big names like Kohli and Steve Smith, among others, had to miss out because the competition for places was so intense. Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar features at No. 4 in the best right-handed Test playing 11 of the 21st century. From 2001 to 2013, he played 121 Tests and scored 9,505 runs at an average of 51.65, with 27 hundreds and 44 half-centuries to his name.

Former England captain Joe Root pipped the other members of the Fab 4 - Kohli, Smith and Kane Williamson - because of his consistency with the willow over the few seasons. Having made his debut in 2012, Root has played 152 Tests and has amassed 12,972 runs at an average of 50.87, with 36 tons and 65 half-centuries. With 5,543 runs from 64 games, he is also the leading run-getter in the WTC.

Jacques Kallis was the easy choice for all-rounder in the best right-handed playing XI of the 21st century. From 2001 to 2013, he played 123 Tests and amassed 10,660 runs at an average of 59.55, with 38 centuries and 45 half-centuries. With his right-arm pace bowling, he claimed 222 scalps at an average of 33.56, with four five-wicket hauls, including a best of 6-54.

South Africa's maverick legend AB de Villiers was among the contenders for the keeper-batter slot in the best right-handed Test playing 11 of the 21st century. However, since he did not feature in a lot of games as the designated stumper, the position eventually went to New Zealand's Brendon McCullum. The dashing batter slammed 6,453 runs in 101 Tests, averaging 38.64, with 12 tons and 31 fifties.

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Bowlers: Shane Warne, Dale Steyn, Glenn McGrath and Muttiah Muralitharan

Late Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne (Image Credits: Getty Images)

There were plenty of contenders in the bowling department as well when it came to picking the best right-handed Test playing 11 of the 21st century - from James Anderson to Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon to Jasprit Bumrah. Eventually, though, it was difficult to look beyond legend like Warne, Steyn, Glenn McGrath and Muttiah Muralitharan.

The late leg-spin wizard Warne played 61 Tests from 2001 to 2007, claiming 342 wickets at an average of 24.82, with 21 five-fers and six 10-wicket match hauls. Sri Lanka's legendary former off-spinner Muralitharan featured in 75 Tests from 2001 to 2010, claiming 498 wickets at an average of 21.23, with 43 five-fers and as many as 17 10-wicket match hauls.

Steyn and McGrath would form an exceptional fast bowling combination, giving away nothing to the batters. Looking at their stats, Steyn played 93 Tests from 2004 to 2019, claiming 439 wickets at an average of 22.95, with 26 five-fers and five 10-wicket match hauls. McGrath played 58 Tests from 2001 to 2007, claiming 258 scalps at an excellent average of 21.28, with the aid of 11 five-fers.