The criteria for selection is pretty straightforward: we have selected the five best batters along with the best-ranked wicketkeeper.

We have also selected the five best-ranked bowlers, with at least two of them capable of featuring as all-rounders. As mentioned, the selections are based on the highest rating points achieved by the players in ICC’s all-time Test charts.

Sunil Gavaskar

Highest rating points achieved – 916

Sunil Gavaskar is arguably the greatest Test opener to have ever graced the sport. He stood toe to toe with the mighty West Indian bowling attack and often came out on top in the 1970s and 1980s. He held the record for the most number of centuries for a considerable period until Sachin Tendulkar overtook him.

Rahul Dravid

Highest rating points achieved – 892

Someone who could do it all, Rahul Dravid opened for India on multiple occasions, often facing the new ball when the team required him to. At his usual spot – No.3 – he was one of the world’s very best. That he is one of the most technically-gifted batters to have ever played the sport, only makes him a shoo-in to this XI.

Sachin Tendulkar

Highest rating points achieved – 898

Possibly the greatest batter to have emerged from India, irrespective of the format. Sachin Tendulkar plundered runs wherever he went and racked up an astounding tally of 51 centuries – a tally that still sits head and shoulders above the rest of the pack.

Virat Kohli (C)

Highest rating points achieved – 937

Arguably India’s greatest ever Test captain, Virat Kohli walks into this eleven. He also has the highest rating points of any batter from India and Pakistan. Much like Pujara, he hasn’t been at his best in the recent past. But his record, which reads 7,962 runs at an average of 50.39, including 27 centuries, is quite astonishing.

Mohammad Yousuf

Highest rating points achieved – 933

There weren’t many better sights in cricket than watching Mohammad Yousuf in full-flow. The elegant right-handed batter was solid as a rock in Pakistan’s middle order and had the ability to transfer the pressure onto the opposition too. In 2006, these qualities came to the fore as he notched up 1788 Test runs in a calendar year – a tally that has never been bettered.

Rishabh Pant (wk)

Highest rating points achieved – 752

Rishabh Pant has divided opinion since his Test debut, but there can be no denying that he is a genuine match-winner on his day. He has only played 28 matches so far but already has centuries in Australia, England and South Africa. The wicketkeeper has also improved his glove-work in recent times and while he hasn’t participated in an India-Pakistan Test yet, there is nothing to suggest he won’t look the part when he does.

Imran Khan

Highest rating points achieved – 922

Imran Khan was the torch-bearer through a golden era in Pakistan’s cricketing history. He captained the team exceptionally and was an extraordinary bowler too. He was pretty handy with the bat as well, meaning that he has no problems in getting into this eleven – both as an all-rounder and as a front-line bowler.

Ravindra Jadeja

Highest rating points achieved – 899

For a chunk of his career, there were question marks over whether Ravindra Jadeja could sustain himself in the longest format. Over the past few years, he has silenced those critics and is one of the first names on India’s team sheets at the moment. His finest hours, though, have come as a bowler and he achieved his highest rating post a magnificent series against Australia in 2017.

Ravichandran Ashwin

Highest rating points achieved – 904

Ravichandran Ashwin’s ability to perform in overseas conditions has remained under a cloud. But there can be no denying his dominance whenever the pitches have aided his style of bowling. He rose through the rankings in 2016 and after a remarkable series against England, climbed to his highest career rating.

Fazal Mahmood

Highest rating points achieved – 895

The late great Pakistan fast bowler was an absolute menace in his pomp. He picked up a truckload of wickets in the 1950s and was one of Pakistan’s primary contributors during that phase. He finished his cricketing career with 139 wickets from 34 matches at an average of 24.7.

Waqar Younis

Highest rating points achieved – 909

An all-time eleven would’ve felt incomplete without Waqar Younis, who along with Wasim Akram, revolutionised fast bowling in the 1990s. He could swing the new ball and also got the old ball to talk. In simpler words, there was nothing batters could do when he was on song. He ended up with 373 Test wickets at an incredible strike rate of 43.5, which is the third-best for any bowler with 200 wickets or more.