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?    

My Cricket World Cup Dream Team

1.  Sachin Tendulkar

Runs 2278,  Average 56.95,  Strike-rate 88.98,  HS 152,  100s 6,  50s 15

Catches 12 

 

2.  Mark Waugh

Runs 1004,  Average 52.84,  Strike-rate 83.04,  HS 130,  100s 4,  50s 4

Catches 11

3.  Vivian Richards

Runs 1013,  Average 63.31,  Strike-rate 85.05,  HS 181,  100s 3,  50s 5

Wickets 10,  Average 34.50,  RO 4.15,  Best 3/41

Catches 9

4.  Martin Crowe

Runs 880,  Average 55.00,  Strike-rate 83.49,  HS 100*,  100s 1,  50s 8

Catches 8

5.  Steve Waugh  (captain)

Runs 978,  Average 48.90,  Strike-rate 81.02,  HS 120*,  100s 1,  50s 6

Wickets 27,  Average 30.14,  RO 4.70,  Best 3/36

Catches 14

6.  Adam Gilchrist  (wicketkeeper)

Runs 1085,  Average 36.16,  Strike-rate 98.01,  HS 149,  100s 1,  50s 8

Catches 45,  Stumpings 7

7.  Imran Khan (vice captain)

Runs 666,  Average 35.05,  Strike-rate 65.61,  HS 102*,  100s 1

Wickets 34,  Average 19.26,  RO 3.86,  Best 4/37

Catches 2

8.  Kapil Dev

Runs 669,  Average 37.16,  Strike-rate 115.14,  HS 175*,  100s 1,  50s 1

Wickets 28,  Average 31.85,  RO 3.76,  Best 5/43

Catches 12

9.  Wasim Akram

Runs 426,  Average 19.36,  Strike-rate 100.70,  HS 43

Wickets 55,  Average 23.83,  RO 4.04,  Best 5/28

Catches 8

10.  Shane Warne

Wickets 32,  Average 19.50,  RO 3.83,  Best 4/29

Catches 2

11.  Glenn McGrath

Wickets 71,  Average 18.19,  RO 3.96,  Best 7/15

Catches 5

12^th Man  Lance Klusener

Runs 372,  Average 124.00,  Strike-rate 121.17,  HS 57,  50s 3

Wickets 22,  Average 22.13,  RO 4.82,  Best 5/21

Catches 2