All-time combined India-Sri Lanka ODI XI
The recently-concluded India-Sri Lanka series may have been a lopsided contest with the Lankan Lions rarely putting in a modicum of fight. But, there was a time when the Sri Lankan side boasted of some of the world's best cricketers and were extremely hard to beat. This tiny island, also called 'a tear drop of the Indian Ocean', produced its fair share of immensely talented players whose names are etched forever in golden letters in the annals of cricket history.
Coming to India, where cricket is a religion, there is no dearth of top-notch players. So, what would a 'combined XI' of these two sub-continental rivals look like? Here is the list of players that make up this dream team. Not surprisingly, this side which comprises world record holders and some of the biggest names in the sport, can strike fear into the hearts of any other team.
#1 Sachin Tendulkar
Widely regarded as the greatest batsman of his generation, there are very few batting peaks that Sachin Tendulkar failed to conquer. Early on in his career, his batting heroics made him a huge star and with record after record succumbing to Tendulkar's magical willow, it did not take too long for him to attain the status of a demigod.
With the hopes of a billion Indians resting on his shoulders, the pressure on him was enormous but there was rarely a year when Tendulkar faltered. Even when subject to the harshest scrutiny, Tendulkar's accomplishments look phenomenal.
He was a complete batsman who mastered every stroke and excelled against all kinds of bowling attacks in all conditions across the globe. The flow of runs never abated throughout his amazingly long career and long before he called it a day, he etched his name as one of the greatest ever batsmen in the history of cricket.
On quite a few occasions, his versatile bowling too swung matches in India's favour. With more than 18,000 runs and 49 centuries under his belt, he strides into our team as Opener No. 1.