Kohli, Dhoni in teams of the decade
LONDON: India’s Virat Kohli has been named skipper of the Wisden Test team of the decade. The list featuring many ace cricketers includes one other Indian player, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Kohli, the top-ranked Test and ODI batsman in International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings, has amassed 7202 runs from 94 Tests, averaging 54.97 with 27 centuries and 25 fifties. Ashwin has scalped 362 wickets from 70 Tests, which includes 27 five-wicket hauls.
The Wisden ODI team of the decade includes Kohli, Rohit Sharma and former India skipper MS Dhoni. In the 50-over format, Kohli has aggregated 11,609 runs from 242 games at an average of 59.84. The Indian run-machine has 43 hundreds and 55 fifties in the format.
Rohit has scored 8944 runs in 221 ODIS, with 28 centuries and 43 half-centuries. Rohit has ended 2019 on a glorious note, at the second spot in the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen.
The Mumbai batsman amassed 2,442 runs across formats this year, finishing No 2 for most international runs, behind Kohli’s 2,455. He surpassed Sri Lankan great Sanath Jayasuriya’s 22-year-old record for most runs as an opener in a calendar year across formats.
Dhoni, on a sabbatical since India’s semi-final exit in the World Cup in England in July, and missed the West Indies tour and the home series against South Africa and Bangladesh, has 10,773 runs from 350 ODIS with 10 hundreds and 73 fifties.
The team which decided the Wisden’s Decade in Review comprised editor Lawrence Booth, Jo Harman, John Stern, Phil Walker and Yas Rana.
RAHANE SLIPS TO 7TH
While Kohli will end the year as the top ranked batsman, Ajinkya Rahane slipped a rung to be seventh in the latest ICC Test rankings issued on Tuesday.
Kohli (928) remained 17 points ahead of Australia’s Steve Smith
WISDEN’S TEST TEAM OF THE DECADE:
1.Alastair Cook (Eng) 2. David Warner (Aus) 3. Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 4. Steve Smith (Aus)
5. Virat Kohli (Ind)
6. Ben Stokes (Eng)
7. AB de Villiers (SA)
8. R Ashwin (Ind)
9. Dale Steyn (SA)
10. Kagiso Rabada (SA)
11. James Anderson (Eng)
WISDEN’S ODI TEAM OF THE DECADE:
1. Rohit Sharma (Ind) 2. Virat Kohli (Ind)
3. David Warner (Aus)
4. AB de Villiers (SA)
5. Jos Buttler (Eng) 6. Shakib Al Hasan (B’desh)
7. M.S. Dhoni (Ind)
8. Lasith Malinga (SL) 9. Mitchell Starc (Aus)
10. Trent Boult (NZ)
11. Dale Steyn (SA)
who occupied the second spot while New Zealand skipper Kane Willamson (864) ends the year at number three.
Among the bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah retained his sixth spot in the list headed by Australia’s Pat Cummins.
India’s Ravindra Jadeja, remained at number 2 behind Jason Holder of the West Indies among Test all-rounders.