The best left-handed Test XI in the modern era

Middle Order Batsmen - Kumar Sangakkara, Brian Lara, and Sourav Ganguly

Two of the finest to have played the game

If left-handed batsmen are called elegant, it is because of batsmen like Kumar Sangakkara, Brian Lara, and Sourav Ganguly. They were of the highest quality and scored a combined of 88 international Test centuries between them in all conditions.

Kumar Sangakkara was a perfect number 3, who had an organized technique and once he got a start he would make it count by scoring big daddy hundreds. Sanga more often than not would arrive at the crease, when the ball was moving around. He would negotiate the tough period by playing the waiting game and once he got set, he would open up his repertoire and make the opposition pay with his gracious strokes. He would also don the wicket-keeping gloves, if required but stayed away from it after 2006.

Career record: Kumar Sangakkara

If Sanga had the grace, Lara had the flair. Lara should definitely be the most popular left-handed batsmen in the history of cricket. Lara's appetite for runs was something else, he is the only batsman to score a 100, 200, 300, 400 in International cricket and a 500 in FC cricket. Lara was the lone warrior in a weak West Indies team and would pretty much carry the team on his shoulders all the time. If you ever sledged him, he would make you pay by showing his full range of strokes that included his customary flowing drives, the stylish cuts, and the famous one-legged pull shots.

Career record: Brian Lara

Ganguly is one of the best the world has seen and he was a mentally tough nut, who relished playing those elegant drives on the off-side. Ganguly burst into the scene with twin hundreds in his debut series against a quality English attack. He somehow loved left-arm spinners and more-often-than-not he would hoist them over long-on and deep mid-wicket. He was a handy bowler who could bowl some tight overs as well.

Career record: Sourav Ganguly

These guys were adept against pace and spin and Lara was undoubtedly the most dangerous batsman if he was in the mood.

Cricket fans around the world have been entertained by these gentlemen and they would easily go on as some of the best left-handed batsmen the world has seen.