Test XI of cricketers born in August
The game of cricket has evolved over time. Different cricketers from different eras have dominated the game and made themselves in that particular era. Cricket is the common link that binds the players across various eras. The month of August has witnessed many cricketers, who dominated the game and made a name for themselves in international cricket, being born. This is a XI of Test crickets born in the month of August.
The team of cricketers born in August will comprise of 6 batsmen, 1 keeper and 4 bowlers and can be a match-winning squad in any conditions around the globe. The team will comprise of 2 part-time spinners who are more than capable of striking with the ball when called upon by the skipper.
The team will be captained by one of the greatest cricketers to have played the game of cricket who will bat at number 3. Another Aussie legend who dominated the game of cricket in the 1970s will occupy the vital number 4 position.
4 fast bowlers who instilled fear in the minds of the opponents make it to this team.
Here is a look at the best Test XI of cricketers born in August.
Openers (1-2)
Simon Katich
The left-handed Aussie opener tasted considerable success at the international level and will be the ideal opener in the current line up of cricketers born in August.
Out of 99 innings in Test cricket, Katich opened the batting in 61 innings and scored 2928 runs at an average of 50.48 with 8 centuries as an opener. His batting average as an opener is better than his career average which is 45.03.
He averaged more than 40 with the bat in Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies in his Test career.
He was a useful left-arm wrist spinner and has 21 Test wickets to his credit.
Katich was a solid opener with a sound technique and a safe fielder too and a perfect opener for the team of cricketers born in August.
Stuart Williams
Stuart Williams played Test cricket for 8 years from the year 1994 till 2002 and scored 1183 Test runs in 52 Test innings. He will be the second opener in the present team and the presence of a right-left combination at the top of the order will be valuable.
He has a Test century and 3 half-centuries to his credit and was a good stroke player. He did not have a very flourishing Test career but his stroke play was a delight to watch in the 1990s. He was a live wire in the field, especially in the gully region. Williams is the only cricketer from West Indies in the present team of cricketers born in August.
Top Order (3-4)
Sir Donald Bradman (Captain)
The greatest cricketer to have played the game of cricket was born in August and will be the captain of this team. Australia never lost a Test series during his captaincy and Bradman will be leading the present team.
The way Bradman played and dominated the game is and will always be a learning experience for generations. In 80 Test innings, Sir Bradman scored 6996 runs at an astonishing average of 99.94 with 29 Test centuries.
He played most of his Test cricket at number 3 and in 56 innings, and he scored 5078 runs at an average of 103.63 with 20 centuries. Bradman will be the perfect number 3 in this particular team of cricketers born in August.
Greg Chappell
In the 1970s, Greg Chappell was the best Australian batsman in Test cricket. He was a fluent run-scorer and scored 7110 Test runs with 24 centuries at an average of 53.86.
In 86 Test innings at number 4, the former Aussie skipper scored 4316 Test runs at an average of 59.12 and made the number 4 position his own in the Australian batting line up.
He averaged more than 40 in all the nations he played Test cricket i.e. Australia, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and West Indies.
He had the hunger to score big runs and tasted success at the international level and will be the perfect number 4 in this line-up of cricketers born in August.
Middle Order (5-6)
Kane Williamson
The current New Zealand skipper has batted at number 3 for most of his Test career. However as the number 3 position in this line-up is occupied by Sir Donald Bradman, Williamson will be batting at number 5 in this team. He is the only active cricketer in this dream team of cricketers born in August.
A calm, composed and a complete batsman, Williamson has scored 6476 Test runs at an average of 51.63 with 21 centuries to his credit.
He is considered as one of the best players to have played Test cricket for New Zealand and is likely to scale great heights as a cricketer at the international level during the course of his career.
Williamson is a true gentleman on and off the pitch and will be a perfect addition to the middle order. He occasionally bowls off-spin and has 29 Test wickets and will be the second part-time spinner in this line-up along with Simon Katich.
Sandeep Patil
Sandip Patil is one of the two Indians who are a part of the team of cricketers born in August.
The former Indian middle-order batsman will be the ideal number 6 batsman in this line-up. In 47 Test innings, Patil scored 1588 runs at an average of 36.93 with 4 centuries.
Patil had an incredible record in Australia where he averaged 62.70 in 3 Tests and has an even better record in England where he averaged 191 in 2 Test innings.
He had the talent and potential to score big runs. However, he could not taste success for long at the Test level.
Wicket-keeper (7)
Jack Russell
The English wicket-keeper batsman makes it to this line-up of cricketers born in August. He was a flawless keeper and a very useful batsman lower down the order and would score vital runs which were always an asset for the English team.
In 54 Tests, the keeper-batsman scored 1897 runs with 2 centuries to his credit. He has taken 153 catches behind the wicket and has affected 12 stumpings too.
The addition of Russell is an asset to any team and the present team will benefit from the dual role of Russell.
Bowlers (8-11)
Javagal Srinath
Javagal Srinath is undoubtedly one of the best fast bowlers to have played cricket for India after the retirement of Kapil Dev. He was the leader of the Indian pace attack in the mid-1990s and early 2000s. He was the only bright spot as far as fast bowlers were concerned for India in the 1990s.
He spearheaded the Indian pace attack for almost a decade and picked up 236 wickets in 67 Tests.
After retiring from the game in the year 2003, Srinath made his debut as a match referee in 2006 and to date is a prominent and well-respected match referee.
Srinath is one of the four fast bowlers to be a part of the team of cricketers born in August.
Lasith Malinga
Though Malinga has tasted success in the ODI and T20 formats, he had a brief but successful Test career and is a part of the pace quartet in this line-up.
The right-handed fast bowler from Sri Lanka played 30 Tests and has 101 Test wickets to his credit. He last played a Test in the year 2010 and has since called it a day in the longest format to keep himself fit for ODIs and T20 cricket.
If Malinga would have played more Tests, he would have finished his career as one of the greats to have played Test cricket considering his record in limited-overs cricket. He is the third pacer of the team comprising of cricketers born in August.
Shoaib Akhtar
Shoaib Akhtar is undoubtedly the fastest bowler in the present team of cricketers born in August.
Akhtar was the reason for the downfall of many opponent batsmen during his career with speed being his asset.
In a Test career spanning over 46 Tests, the speedster bagged 178 wickets at an impressive average of 25.7 with 12 5-wicket hauls. If not for injuries and his behavior on and off the field, he would have played many more Tests.
Akhtar is a welcome addition to this team and would unsettle opponent batsmen with his pace with the new as well as the old ball.
Jeff Thomson
Thomson also known as "Thommo" is considered by many to be the fastest bowler of his generation. He would unsettle batsmen with his pace and accuracy and had a successful Test career.
In 51 Tests, he picked up 200 Test wickets at an average of 28 with 8 5-wicket hauls.
He created a sense of fear in the opponent camp when he came to bowl and is the perfect addition to this team and the fourth pacer in the team of cricketers born in August.