Aakash Chopra picks current Test XI, selects Virat Kohli as captain

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has picked his current Test XI in which he selected Virat Kohli as the captain. Chopra selects New Zealand’s Tom Latham and India’s Mayank Agarwal as openers. Latham has scored 3726 runs in 52 Test matches at an average of 42.34. Mayank Agarwal has had a great start to his Test career as he has scored 974 runs in 11 Test matches at an average of 57.29.

The world’s number one Test batsman Steven Smith bats one change in the side. Smith has been in sublime form and he had scored 774 runs in the 2019 Ashes. The right-hander has scored 7227 runs in 73 Test matches at a staggering average of 62.84.

The Indian captain Virat Kohli bats at his normal position of four. Kohli has amassed 7240 runs in 86 Test matches at an average of 53.63.

England Test skipper Joe Root bats at number five in the batting order. Root has scored 7599 runs in 92 Test matches at an average of 48.09. England’s talisman all-rounder Ben Stokes bats at number six. Stokes had played a magnum opus knock of 135 at Headingley and he has amassed 4056 runs in 63 Test matches whereas he has scalped 147 wickets.

South Africa’s Quinton de Kock takes the gloves in Aakash Chopra’s side. The southpaw has scored 2934 runs in 47 Test matches at an average of 39.12

Pat Cummins, Neil Wagner and Jasprit Bumrah constitute the pace battery of the side. Cummins is the number Test bowler at the moment and he has scalped 59 Test wickets in 2019. The right-arm pacer has scalped 143 wickets in 30 Test matches at an outstanding average of 21.83. Neil Wagner is well known to bowl long spells and left-arm pacer has claimed 206 wickets in 48 Test matches at an average of 26.6.

Jasprit Bumrah has had a dream start to his Test career and the gun pacer has snared 68 wickets in the 14 Test matches at an impressive average of 20.34. Nathan Lyon is the solitary spinner in the side and the Australian has done well in almost all the conditions. The off-spinner has scalped 390 wickets in 96 Test matches at an average of 31.59.

Marnus Labuschagne, BJ Watling, Stuart Broad and Babar Azam are the reserve players in Aakash Chopra’s side.

Aakash Chopra’s current Test XI: Tom Latham, Mayank Agarwal, Steve Smith, Virat Kohli (C), Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Quinton de Kock (WK), Pat Cummins, Neil Wagner, Jasprit Bumrah, Nathan Lyon