Asia's all-time Test XI

India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have offered us many cricketing geniuses over the last fifty years. It is known that Test cricket is the apex form of cricket and a Test victory means so much more than any victory in limited overs cricket. Thus keeping this in mind, I have selected the team that not only has players with fine career records, but also will be able to win any match in whatever circumstance.Selection Criteria:1.Players are not only picked out according to their career records, but as well for their abilities to perform in crunch situations.2.For each player not only his records in Asia, but alsooverseas records are brought into consideration.3. The team should be able to take twenty wickets in any conditions and in any pitch.4. Not more than four players from a single country.So now lets have a look at theplayers who make it into the Asia's greatest ever side.**All the players are presented according to their batting order.NOTE: This is the personal opinion of the author and not of Sportskeeda as a whole.

#1 Sunil Gavaskar

Career Span: 1971-1987

Tests: 125

Runs: 10,122

Batting Average: 51.12

The little master from India is arguably the greatest opening batsman of all time. Currently, he is Asia’s fifth most prolific run scorer with 34 Test centuries to his name. He had the best technique in this game and his defence was almost impenetrable. Gavaskar scored plenty of runs against the 1970-80 West Indian teams who at the time possessed one of the most fearsome bowling attacks in the world.

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#2 Hanif Mohammad

Career Span: 1952-1969

Tests: 55

Runs: 3915

Batting Average: 43.98

The first star of Pakistan cricket, Hanif was the original “little master” of this game. He was simply phenomenal with his technique and defence. Recognized as the originator of the reverse- sweep, he played the longest Test innings in cricket history against West Indies in 1957-58 where he made 337 runs after batting for 970-minutes and till to date this is the only triple century scored in a team's second innings. He was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1968 and became an ICC Hall of Famer in January 2009. So whenever analyzing the performances in both home and away matches, Gavaskar and Hanif are the two best openers that Asia has ever produced and it will not be a hard job to pick them into this team.

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#3 Rahul Dravid

Career Span: 1996-2012

Tests: 164

Runs: 13,288

Batting Average: 52.31

He is probably the best No.3 batsman for any team after Sir Donald Bradman. Known as ‘The Wall’, Dravid is considered as one of the greatest batsmen to have ever played the game and is the second highest Asian run getter in Tests after Sachin Tendulkar. He is considered as the classiest batsman of the modern era and like Gavasker his defence was also unbreakable.

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#4 Sachin Tendulkar

Career Span: 1989-2013

Tests: 200

Runs: 15,921

Batting Average: 53.78

The most complete batsman of all-time, Sachin Tendulkar transformed cricket into a religion among the hearts of many cricket lovers. From his Test appearance in 1989, when he was just 16 years of age to his last match in 2013, Tendulkar had been an international icon for this game. With 100 international centuries and more than 34000 international career runs, he possesses almost every batting record in his pocket. Not only records, he had all the shots, techniques, temperaments that can simply justify his talent.

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#5 Mahela Jayawardene

Career Span: 1989-2014 (Active)

Tests: 147

Runs: 11671

Batting Average: 50.09

Mahela is currently the fourth highest Asian run scorer with the help of 34 centuries. Considered as one of the finest middle order batsmen of the modern era, he became the first Sri Lankan cricketer to score over 10,000 Test runs. However, like other Asian cricketers Jayawardene has extremely impressive numbers at home, but not as effective as in overseas conditions, especially in South Africa and Australia. But looking at his records and to add balance the team, he is definitely a better option than others.

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#6 Kumar Sangakkara (wk)

Career Span: 1989-2014 (Active)

Tests: 127

Runs: 11701

Batting Average: 58.50

Surprise? Sanga at 6th position.

It may seem like a surprise, but the obvious truth is that no one is better than Dravid at the No.3 position and Sangakkara is on this inclination as he is the best wicket-keeping batsman in Asia. Considered as one of the most polished batsmen of all-time, he was also so brilliant behind the stumps. As a wicket-keeper, he has taken 131 catches and done 20 stumpings. Often called as a minnow basher, he has been the most prolific Sri Lankan batsman in overseas matches. With ten double-centuries, Sangakkara is second on the list of batsmen with the most 200-plus scores after Sir Donald Bradman.

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#7 Kapil Dev

Career Span: 1978-1994

Tests: 131

Runs: 5248

Batting Average: 31.05

Wickets: 434

Bowling Average: 29.64

He is not just the greatest fast bowler that India has ever produced, but also one of the finest all-rounders ever to represent the game. Being honoured as the India's Cricketer of the 20th Century, Kapil Dev is one of the few players in the history of cricket to have taken more than 400 wickets and scored more than 5,000 runs in Tests.

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#8 Imran Khan (captain)

Career Span: 1971-1992

Tests: 88

Runs: 3807

Batting Average: 37.69

Wickets: 362

Bowling Average: 22.81

Imran Khan is arguably the second greatest all-rounder after Sir Garry Sobers and undoubtedly the greatest cricketer to represent Pakistan. Due to his on-field and off-field activities, he has been one of the greatest role models of the game for many years. Apart from his almost 4,000 Test runs and 362 wickets, it was his captaincy that he is most remembered for. Looking at his overall records, it was an effortless task for me to choose the captain of this team. He was probably one of the most dynamic leader in the field that cricket has ever experienced.

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#9 Wasim Akram

Career Span: 1985-2002

Tests: 104

Runs: 2898

Batting Average: 22.64

Wickets: 414

Bowling Average: 23.62

He is seen as the best left-arm fast bowler of all-time and the best bet to swing the ball both ways. His yorkers were irresistible. From dangerous bouncers to a deceptive slower delivery, Akram will be forever known as the most threatening fast bowler of all-time. It is an obvious choice to pick a player like him into this XI.

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#10 Waqar Younis

Career Span: 1989-2003

Tests: 87

Wickets: 373

Bowling Average: 23.56

He was the first person to apply that banana swing to not just the old ball, but also the new one and his inswinging yorkers were just unpredictable. He was faster than Imran and Akram and had the best strike rate (43 balls per wicket) of any bowler having more than 200 Test wickets. Nevertheless, during his exceptional cricketing career, injuries always troubled him a lot, but his determination and dedication towards the game has earned him to be one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time.

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#11 Muttiah Muralitharan

Career Span: 1992-2010

Tests: 133

Wickets: 800

Bowling Average: 22.72

After looking at his wickets, it is merely a formality to give reasons for his inclusion into this squad. Being the highest wicket-taker of the game, he’s one of the greatest spin bowlers the world has even seen. He got most of the wickets with the delivery named “Doosra” and had the ability to whirl the ball ludicrously on any surface.

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