Top 3 Test captains of the decade
Test captaincy is one of the most coveted jobs in cricket, as the amount of respect and responsibility associated with the post of a Test skipper is immeasurably large. It is evident from history that the Test skippers who attained massive success were shrewd decision makers with great man-management skills such as Mike Brearley, Clive Lloyd and Steve Waugh.
Captaining a team for five days in addition to bowling or batting workload is an immense challenge and only a special few have seen consistent success as a Test captain in this decade. Leading a side at home against any opponent has become considerably easier in the past ten years since touring teams have failed to pose any significant threat. This is mainly due to the busy International schedule which has hindered the preparation time for a visiting team. Hence the 3 Test skippers in this list have been chosen mainly on the basis of their team’s performance in away conditions. All three of them have also led by example with their consistently brilliant batting performances.
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#3 Michael Clarke
Michael Clarke took over as the Test captain of Australia under tough circumstances, as the Aussie team was going through a period of decline after the retirement of many legends. His first game as Test skipper was the last Test of the 2010-11 Ashes series which Australia lost 3-1. After the 2011 World Cup, Clarke succeeded Ponting as the captain in both ODIs and Tests.
His first major success as a captain came during India’s tour of Australia in 2012. The Aussies convincingly thrashed the Indians 4-0, on the back of some good on-field captaincy and brilliant batting by their skipper. The highlight of his Test captaincy was the 2013-14 Ashes series. Australia regained the coveted urn after hammering England 5-0 at home, thanks to the scary Mitchell Johnson, who got worldwide attention for his heroics with the ball. His captained Australia for the last time in 2015 Ashes in England which Australia lost 2-3.
Even though his reign got controversial towards the end due to conflicts within the team, his captaincy skills have been sorely missed, as the Aussies have been largely inconsistent under Clarke's successor Steve Smith and Tim Paine.
Matches - 47, Wins- 24, Lost - 16, Win percentage - 51.06