The finest left-handed batsmen in cricket's annals

Clem Hill (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1896-1912, Matches 49, Highest Score 191, Runs 3,412, Average 39.21, 7 Hundreds, 19 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1892-1923, Matches 252, Highest Score 365*, Runs 17,213, Average 43.57, 45 Hundreds, 83 Fifties.

Frank Woolley (England) ….. Tests span: 1909-1934, Matches 64, Highest Score 154, Runs 3,283, Average 36.07, 5 Hundreds, 23 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1906-1938, Matches 978, Highest Score 305*, Runs 58,959, Average 40.77, 145 Hundreds, 295 Fifties.

Arthur Morris (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1946-1955, Matches 46, Highest Score 206, Runs 3,533, Average 46.48, 12 Hundreds, 12 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1940-1955, Matches 162, Highest Score 290, Runs 12,614, Average 53.67, 46 Hundreds, 46 Fifties.

Bert Sutcliffe (New Zealand) ….. Tests span: 1947-1965, Matches 42, Highest Score 230*, Runs 2,727, Average 40.10, 5 Hundreds, 15 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1941-1966, Matches 233, Highest Score 385, Runs 17,447, Average 47.41, 44 Hundreds, 83 Fifties.

Neil Harvey (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1948-1963, Matches 79, Highest Score 205, Runs 6,149, Average 48.41, 21 Hundreds, 24 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1946-1963, Matches 306, Highest Score 231*, Runs 21,699, Average 50.93, 67 Hundreds, 94 Fifties.

Gary Sobers (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1954-1974, Matches 93, Highest Score 365*, Runs 8,032, Average 57.78, 26 Hundreds, 30 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1952-1974, Matches 383, Highest Score 365*, Runs 28,314, Average 54.87, 86 Hundreds, 121 Fifties.

Graeme Pollock (South Africa) ….. Tests span: 1963-1970, Matches 23, Highest Score 274, Runs 2,256, Average 60.97, 7 Hundreds, 11 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1960-1987, Matches 262, Highest Score 274, Runs 20,940, Average 54.67, 64 Hundreds, 99 Fifties.

Allan Border (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1978-1994, Matches 156, Highest Score 205, Runs 11,174, Average 50.56, 27 Hundreds, 63 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1976-1996, Matches 385, Highest Score 205, Runs 27,131, Average 51.38, 70 Hundreds, 142 Fifties.

Brian Lara (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1990-2006, Matches 131, Highest Score 400*, Runs 11,953, Average 52.88, 34 Hundreds, 48 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1987-2008, Matches 261, Highest Score 501*, Runs 22,156, Average 51.88, 65 Hundreds, 88 Fifties.

Matthew Hayden (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1994-2009, Matches 103, Highest Score 380, Runs 8,625, Average 50.73, 30 Hundreds, 29 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1991-2009, Matches 295, Highest Score 380, Runs 24,603, Average 52.57, 79 Hundreds, 100 Fifties.

Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) ….. Tests span: 2000-2015, Matches 134, Highest Score 319, Runs 12,400, Average 57.40, 38 Hundreds, 52 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 2000-2015, Matches 235, Highest Score 319, Runs 18,134, Average 50.51, Hundreds 53, Fifties 77.

Arguably the top four allrounders ever in Test cricket

1.  Gary Sobers (West Indies) ….. Test career span 1954-1974,  Tests 93,  Highest score 365*,  Runs 8,032,   Average 57.78,  Hundreds 26,  Wickets 235,  Average 34.03,  Best bowling 6/73,  5 Wickets / Innings 6,  Catches 109,  Quotient 1.697.

2.  Jacques Kallis (South Africa) ….. Test career span 1995-2013,  Tests 166,  Highest score 224,  Runs 13,289,   Average 55.37,  Hundreds 45,  Wickets 292,  Average 32.65,  Best bowling 6/54,  5 Wickets / Innings 5,  Catches 200,  Quotient 1.695.

3.  Imran Khan (Pakistan) ….. Test career span 1971-1992,  Tests 88,  Highest score 136,  Runs 3,807,   Average 37.69,  Hundreds 6,  Wickets 362,  Average 22.81,  Best bowling 8/58,  5 Wickets / Innings 23,  Catches 28,  Quotient 1.65.

4.  Keith Miller (Australia) ….. Test career span 1946-1956,  Tests 55,  Highest score 147,  Runs 2,958,   Average 36.97,  Hundreds 7,  Wickets 170,  Average 22.97,  Best bowling 7/60,  5 Wickets / Innings 7,  Catches 38,  Quotient 1.60.

Perhaps inarguably the first three great batsmen in history

WG Grace (England) ….. Tests span: 1880-1899, Matches 22, Highest Score 170, Runs 1,098, Average 32.29, 2 Hundreds, 5 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1865-1908, Matches 870, Highest Score 344, Runs 54,211, Average 39.45, 124 Hundreds, 251 Fifties.

KS Ranjitsinhji (England) …..  Tests span: 1896-1902, Matches 15, Highest Score 175, Runs 989, Average 44.95, 2 Hundreds, 6 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1893-1920, Matches 307, Highest Score 285*, Runs 24,692, Average 56.37, 72 Hundreds, 109 Fifties.

Victor Trumper (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1899-1912, Matches 48, Highest Score 214*, Runs 3,163, Average 39.04, 8 Hundreds, 13 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1894-1914, Matches 255, Highest Score 300*, Runs 16,939, Average 44.57, 42 Hundreds, 87 Fifties.

Is this India's best ever team in Test cricket?

Is this India's best ever team in Test cricket:
1.   Sunil Gavaskar
2.   Virender Sehwag
3.   Rahul Dravid
4.   Sachin Tendulkar
5.   Gundappa Visvanath
6.   Farokh Engineer
7.   Kapil Dev
8.   Zaheer Khan
9.   Anil Kumble
10. Bishen Singh Bedi
11. Erapalli Prasanna / Javagal Srinath

This team has five batsmen, five bowlers and a wicketkeeper. It has opening batsmen of contrasting styles, a technically accomplished player in Gavaskar and a dasher in Sehwag. It has a great allrounder in Kapil Dev and a top-class wicketkeeper-batsman in Farokh Engineer. The bowling would be opened from one end by the right-arm swing of Kapil Dev, and from the other end by the left-armer Zaheer Khan. In sub-continental conditions one would play the classical off-spinner Prasanna, while on overseas wickets the nippy paceman Srinath would get the nod.

But this is where the arguments would begin. Some may want VVS Laxman in. Others might prefer Syed Kirmani to the flamboyant Engineer. Old-timers may vote for the freakish Bhagwat Chandrasekhar instead of Kumble. There would probably be a case for Harbhajan Singh ahead of Prasanna. There might be several other names floating around.

And who would captain this team? My choice would be the astute Gavaskar. Start of another debate?