The World's Best Test XI of the current era

#10 Mitchell Starc

The menacing left-arm fast bowler from Australia

The menacing left-arm fast bowler from Australia, Mitchell Starc make our list at No.10. With a remarkable consistency in bowling brutal toe-crushers, that takes the pitch conditions out of context, Starc has proceeded to become one of the most fearsome fats-bowlers in contemporary cricket.

While he made his Test debut against New Zealand at the Gabba in 2011, a series of inconsistent performances hindered Starc's credentials of an all-format bowler, but it was only after the 2015 World Cup, where he was adjudged Player of the Tournament, that we saw the emergence of Starc 2.0.

2015 continued to be the golden year, as he broke the 160 km/hr barrier against New Zealand at the WACA, and picked up 87 wickets across formats, establishing himself as an indispensable asset for Australian cricket. In 43 Tests thus far, Starc has picked up 182 wickets at an average of 28.18, including nine five-wicket hauls and a ten-fer.

#11 James Anderson

The greatest exponent of a swinging ball in contemporary cricket

The greatest exponent of a swinging ball in contemporary cricket, it's almost impossible to imagine a World test XI without James Anderson.

Anderson's career can be studied in two parts. Having made his debut in 2003, Anderson remained out of the side for the better part of five years. But since 2007, the vile fast-bowler blessed with a classical side-on action has proceeded to bamboozle batsmen all over the world with his immaculate seam and swing, and rever-swing when the ball gets old.

With a plethora of wickets in English conditions, Anderson's two pivotal achievements remain his annihilation of the Aussies (24 wickets in five matches) Down under in 2010, exorcising his ghosts of the previous visit in 2006, and his subsequent match-winning spell of reverse-bowling in Kolkata in 2012, to lead England to a famous 2-1 series win over India.

Anderson, who holds the World record of going through 54 Test innings without a duck, have already accumulated 531 wickets at an average of 27.37 which includes 25 five-wicket hauls and three ten-fers.