Veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara recently revealed his combined India-England Test XI of the 21st century, leaving out some of the biggest names in cricket. Pujara excluded former Indian cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni, along with England legends Alastair Cook and James Anderson, from his lineup.

India are currently touring England for a five-match Test series, with the hosts taking a 2-1 lead after three games. Pujara, who has not officially retired, is not part of the Indian squad. The veteran batter last played a Test match during the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia.

Cheteshwar Pujara Chooses Alec Stewart and Rahul Dravid as His Openers in Combined India-England Test XI

Cheteshwar Pujara, who is currently in England as part of the broadcast team for the ongoing Test series, recently participated in ESPNcricinfo’s segment The Draft. He was asked to select a combined India-England Test XI from the 21st century.

Pujara picked former players Alec Stewart and Rahul Dravid as his openers. The veteran batter overlooked notable names like Alastair Cook, Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, and Murali Vijay.

He chose Stewart not only for his batting credentials but also as the wicketkeeper of the team. Stewart played 133 Tests, scoring 8,463 runs with 15 centuries. Dravid, who partnered Stewart at the top, featured in 164 Tests for India and amassed 13,288 runs, including 36 centuries.

Cheteshwar Pujara Snubs Sachin Tendulkar in Combined India-England Test XI

Cheteshwar Pujara built a formidable middle order in his combined India-England Test XI. The 37-year-old picked Joe Root, Virat Kohli, and VVS Laxman.

Root, who is still active and part of the current series, has amassed 13,259 runs in 156 Tests, including 37 centuries. Kohli, who recently retired from Test cricket, played 123 matches and scored 9,230 runs with 30 hundreds. Laxman scored 8,781 runs in 134 Tests with 17 centuries during his career.

Notably, Root boasts the record for the most runs in India-England Tests, with 3,099 runs in 33 matches at an impressive average of 57.38. It is worth mentioning that Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni were left out of the XI.

Cheteshwar Pujara Picks Four All-Rounders in Combined India-England Test XI

Cheteshwar Pujara finalized his combined India-England Test XI of the 21st century by selecting a group of all-rounders and bowlers. He opted for four all-rounders: England’s Ben Stokes and Andrew Flintoff, along with India’s Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, who also serve as the two spinners.

To lead the pace attack, Pujara picked Indian fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. Former England seamer Matthew Hoggard was named the 12th man.

Notably, Ravichandran Ashwin is India’s leading wicket-taker against England in this century, with 114 wickets in 24 matches at an average of 27.72.

Pujara’s India-England combined Test XI: Alec Stewart, Rahul Dravid, Joe Root, Virat Kohli, VVS Laxman, Ben Stokes, Andrew Flintoff, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami

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