My Hundred: from 70 to 61

 70: David Lawrence

The term ‘whole-hearted cricketer’ could have been invented specifically for David Lawrence. Gloucester born and bred, his pace got him noticed in the late Eighties when England were constantly marmalised by the West Indies. Like Devon Malcolm he wasn’t always the most accurate but he made his debut in a one-off Test against Sri Lanka in ’88. I saw him play exactly three years later against the same opponents at Lord’s but his next Test v NZ in Wellington that winter ended in agony when he fractured a kneecap, effectively ending a promising and popular career. 

69: Jack Russell

RC ‘Jack’ Russell was one of England’s greatest eccentrics. He was also probably the best wicketkeeper since Alan Knott and Bob Taylor but was restricted to only 54 Tests in the ‘80s and ‘90s by Alec Stewart’s superior batting. A Gloucestershire stalwart for 24 seasons, he accumulated around 1,900 dismissals and ground out plenty of vital lower-order runs. An accomplished artist, he is best remembered by me for his battered white sun-hat and 'non-standard' black gloves which somehow survived his whole career. 

68: Courtney Walsh

Another veteran of Gloucestershire, the lanky Jamaican not only became the first bowler to reach 500 Test wickets but he also had the fitness required to take more than 1,800 in all first-class cricket. I saw him play against Essex in 1984 before his first Test call-up then again in his final Lord’s appearance in 2000, earning a standing ovation as he strode out with bat in hand. He won more applause when this bunniest of rabbits actually scored a single! Always a good sport, Walsh also memorably collapsed with laughter at the MCG when facing the blue-haired Aussie spinner Colin Miller! 

67: Rahul Dravid

In the modern era, Rahul Dravid was an anachronism. ‘The Wall’ rarely whacked it around nor had crowds on their feet screaming his name, yet he was as much part of India’s golden period as Tendulkar, Dhoni or Kohli. Nobody in Test match history has faced more deliveries nor spent more time at the crease and only three have made more runs. I finally managed to see him in tandem with Sachin, albeit briefly, in a friendly at Taunton nine years ago, when he scored 17 and faced 20-odd ‘dots.  A master craftsman of innings building, he knew when to defend and when to strike: one of the last of a dying breed. 

66: Mark Ramprakash

Like Graeme Hick, ‘Ramps’ never quite succeeded in consistently converting prolific county form into stellar performances for England. His Test average was a mediocre 27, barely half of his career first-class number. After England eventually gave up on him in 2002, ironically he became peerless in the county game. Having swapped Middlesex for Surrey, in 2006 he averaged over 100 in the Championship and went on to break the barrier of 100 first-class centuries, probably the last man to achieve the feat. A delight to watch when in form, both with the bat and fielding at cover. 

65: Glenn Turner

The New Zealander was not the prettiest strokemaker but during the Seventies was consistently one of the finest opening batsman in the county game. Playing for one of the weaker Test nations at the time, he nonetheless averaged nearly 45, saving his best for the two most successful opponents, Australia and the West Indies. I used to admire him making runs for Worcestershire, for whom he compiled many of his 103 first-class and 14 limited-overs centuries. 

64: Gladstone Small

I could recite a load of stats to justify the Bajan’s presence in my list. There are his plentiful wickets for Warwickshire and match-winning one-day spells to consider. In particular he was Man of the Match at the Boxing Day Ashes Test in 1986. However, he’s better remembered for his almost cartoonish appearance. All collar and no neck, his bowling run-up recalled a clockwork toy wound up to the max but he became a top-class bowler who also seemed to have fun, which I always liked. 

63: Barry Richards

Like Glenn Turner, the South African was a blonde opening bat who was very difficult to get out and scored heavily in the 1970s when my love of cricket took flight. Robbed of surefire global stardom by his country’s pariah status (he managed only four Tests, at an average of 72 before the anti-apartheid ban), his stage was for me the county game. At Hampshire he formed one of the most jaw-dropping of county opening partnerships with Gordon Greenidge and was often even more exciting to watch than the West Indian. A giant of his era, yet not quite my favourite Richards! 

62: Chris Woakes

More than a decade ago, I associated the name of Chris Woakes with a Warwickshire Fantasy Cricket points machine. Ostensibly a metronomic fast-medium seamer, he proved he could also score runs, and in 2011 topped his county’s first-class averages with both bat and ball. I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t picked for England, but his chance duly came. Just last week, the newly-bearded Woakes claimed a five-for in England’s defeat of Pakistan, but it was Stuart Broad who dominated the headlines. That seems to be Woakes’ fate: the cruelly underrated ultimate support act. 

61: Tim Murtagh

Like Woakes, Murtagh has been a long-standing feature near the top of County Championship bowling averages. He has been swinging the ball through the defences of all the best batsmen for two decades, notably for Middlesex, but it was only in his thirties that he won the chance to represent Ireland in ODIs then three Tests. It was June 2005 when I first became aware of him, watching him take 6-24 in an after-work clash at Lord’s and just this week, at the age of 39, he was bowling Middlesex to another triumph against Surrey, this time in the Bob Willis Trophy. Tim represents everything I love about county cricket.

England v India - Dravid and Botham the Stars of the Past

In the past four decades, India have played 30 Tests in England and have won only four. Nevertheless those victories have come at opportune times, contributing to series victories in 1986 and 2007. Of course 2011 witnessed India's humiliating 4-0 drubbing, more humbling than even England's Ashes debacle last winter. When looking back over the nine series played in this period, there have been great batting performances from both sides, but it is with the bowling that England have dominated. This is apparent when selecting my teams of the past forty years.

ENGLAND: Graham Gooch will always be remembered for his 333 against India in 1990, and nobody has scored more than the 1134 runs he accumulated against this opposition in England across ten Tests. Michael Vaughan, though, boasts a superior average, at 75.83. His 910 runs were scored in only seven matches, including two scores of 190+ in 2002. Even Mike Atherton has a decent record at home to India but Gooch and Vaughan are my openers.

Kevin Pietersen's record is also excellent. He amassed 878 runs at almost 80 between 2007 and 2011, the highlight being his unbeaten 202 in the Lord's success almost exactly three years ago. Ian Bell played in the same seven Tests, collecting 694 at 52.87, a touch higher than David Gower's average. However, the former England strokemaker appeared twelve times and made 833 runs. At this point, I have to confess I have ignored a batsman who has an average of 260 at home to India! Nevertheless, he fails to make my team because David 'Bumble' Lloyd scored those 260 runs in only two games, albeit including an unbeaten 214 forty summers ago. Although Matt Prior has a century to his name, Alec Stewart's 423 runs at 52.87 between 1996 and 2002 earns him the gloves.

Perhaps surprisingly, Ian Botham's career batting average of 80.87 is the best of anyone in the last nine England v India rubbers. He never liked touring the subcontinent but he made up for it by destroying India on home territory, with bat and ball. 647 runs and 29 wickets at 27 make for an exceptional set of all-round statistics. His 11 catches also put him second behind Gooch amongst non-wicketkeepers in this period.

Bob Willis claimed one more victim than Beefy; 30 at an average of 24.16. Mike Hendrick is an under-rated England stalwart. History has been less kind to him than, say, Botham and Willis, but his swing and seam in '74 were as dangerous as anybody's. His match figures of 7-71 did as much as Lloyd's double-century to beat India by an innings in that game at Edgbaston. In '74 and '79 he took 26 wickets at under 17 apiece. Moving forward to more recent times, Stuart Broad's series average of 13.84 in 2011 is even more special, and he makes my fantasy XI alongside Jimmy Anderson. While the latter's average of 27 is not spectacular, his wicket tally of 35 is unsurpassed on the England side.

INDIA: The visitors, of course, have had their fair share of superstars even if some didn't quite reproduce their form for India in England. Gambhir, Bedi, Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh spring to mind. It's no surprise that Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid have more runs to their name than anybody else on either team. Dravid collected 1376 runs at 68.80 and was India's sole beacon of excellence in that disastrous 2011 series. Three of his six centuries came in that run of four heavy defeats. Some of his runs came as an opener, so he starts alongside the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. In 13 Tests between 1974 and 1986, he made 1008 runs at 46.

SRT represented his country 17 times in Test matches in England and his average of 54.31 more or less matches his career record around the world. Saurav Ganguly scored fewer runs (960 to the Little Master's 1575) but 65.35 makes for a superior batting average. He was player of the series in 1996 and led his country with a 128 to an innings defeat of Hussain's side at Headingley in 2002. My middle-order is completed by Dilip Vengsarkar. He and Gavaskar did so much to keep Indian innings afloat in the 1970s and early '80s, as witnessed by his rearguard 157 at Lord's in '82 and 102 not out in the Headingley victory four years later.

MS Dhoni pips Faroukh Engineer to the wicketkeeper slot, but not by much. India's all-rounder line-up pretty much begins and ends with Kapil Dev. Ravi Shastri had his moments in England but his spin bowling netted him a mere 11 wickets at over 70 apiece! Kapil's average of 39.18 is nothing to write home about but he did claim 43 wickets with his fast bowling and score 638 runs at 35.44 with the bat. His only century came in his last appearance in 1990 but his most memorable innings was an 89 in 55 balls at Lord's in 1982. It merely delayed the inevitable defeat but it did make England bat again and give Botham and Willis something to fret about for an hour or so.

None of India's great spinners set the world alight over here, but Anil Kumble gets a place in my team because of his 36 wickets. Chetan Sharma (16 wickets at 18.75 in 1986) and Praveen Kumar (15 at under 30 in 2011) have decent records in single series but my India XI is completed by Zaheer Khan. 31 wickets at under 28 represents a decent return over eight Tests, and his nine wickets at Trent Bridge seven years ago earned him the MOTM award.

In summary;
ENGLAND: Gooch, Vaughan (*), Pietersen, Gower, Bell, Stewart (+), Botham, Broad, Anderson, Hendrick, Willis
INDIA: Gavaskar, Dravid, Tendulkar, Vengsarkar, Ganguly (*), Dhoni (+), Kapil Dev, Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Kumar, Sharma

Andy Flower's best bloom - thirteen years on

All this talk about Matt Prior's 'will he, won't he' situation ahead of the First Ashes Test is wrapped up in glowing praise for his dressing room value and batting prowess. As a wicketkeeper usually batting at seven, Prior's average of 42 is undeniably excellent. Nineties England opener Alec Stewart averaged only 35 when playing as designated 'keeper. Kumar Sangakkara has one of the best Test averages of any player in history (just shy of 57) but in games when he donned the gloves, it's actually below that of Prior. Adam Gilchrist was up in the high 40s, but even he is eclipsed by one man.

So who's the best wicketkeeper-batsman of the past forty years or so? Look no further than the aforementioned England dressing room: it's Andy Flower. Had he represented one of the major cricketing nations, instead of Zimbabwe, he'd have been a true world superstar. Thirteen years ago, he started a 13-month sequence of eleven Tests in which he accumulated a whopping 1,466 runs with a staggering average of 133.27!! Beat that, Tendulkar!

In that run, Zimbabwe won just four - three against Bangladesh - lost three and drew four. However, even in defeat, Andy Flower, often well supported by brother Grant, usually shone brightly, dominating his side's scorecard. In the first match in November 2000, the wicketkeeper struck 183 not out and 70 in Delhi, yet was on the receiving end of a seven wicket drubbing. Thank you, Rahul Dravid, whose unbeaten 200 and 70 eclipsed even the 32 year-old Zimbabwean's stunning performance.

A week later, Dravid compiled another big hundred but Tendulkar's 201 not out took India to 600. Zimbabwe followed on, and Andy Flower's undefeated 232 saved the match. Two more half-centuries followed in New Zealand then against Bangladesh before a feeble 23 in Harare. He passed fifty twice in the defeat by India then his side claimed a rare success against Ganguly's men althiough this time it was brother Grant who top-scored.

In September 2001 Gibbs, Kirsten and Kallis smashed Zimbabwe's attack all over the shop and it was another follow-on situation. Andy F just got on with the job and contributed 341 runs all by himself. Sadly for him, all it achieved was to take the game into a fifth day which became one of the most infamous dates in history: 11th September 2001, aka 9/11. 67, 14 not out and 28 came from the next two fixtures, against SA and Bangladesh, before another unbeaten hundred, in Chittagong, took his sequence to five centuries, 7 fifties and that massive aggregate of runs. Oh, and 30-odd dismissals, too.

Let's not forget Andy Flower is still only 45. If the selectors are really so scared of handing the gloves to Jonny Bairstow they could do no worse than turning to the coach. Like Prior, he was even born in South Africa, always a plus on the CV of an England hopeful! Well, maybe it wouldn't be allowed, but we should place the impressive stats of the incumbent in the context of his coach, possibly the greatest Test 'keeper-batsmen since the Second World War.

Mumbai give Tendulkar a winning send-off

Having picked the Super Kings to win back the IPL title, I suppose it was inevitable that the Mumbai Lions would come out on top in the Eden Gardens showdown. No Ponting or Tendulkar, but in this Final it was the T20 specialist Kieron Pollard whose batting proved decisive in the first innings. It was then the turn of the frontline bowlers to shine. When the two slingers Malnga and Johnson had despatched potential match-winners Mike Hussey, Raina and badrinath back to the dugout inside two overs with just three runs on the board, things were looking grim for CSK.

However, in T20, there's always hope. Some big sixes and there's always a chance of reaching the target before the remaining wickets tumble. Nevertheless at 39-6, all Chennai hopes were resting on one man's shoulders. Batsman, 'keeper and captain for CSK and India, MS Dhoni is used to immense pressure but this was one challenge beyond even his talents. To his credit, he compiled another unbeaten half-century but the pacemen, plus Ojha, Harbajhan Singh and Pollard, proved too difficult to hit. The dot balls mounted up and the game was up before the start of the final Pollard over. Sachin was out injured but the boyish enthusiasm was still to the fore on the boundary as Rohit Sharma spent ages pointlessly shuffling his field to defend more than twenty runs from the last ball!

What we didn't know was that the Little Master had already decided to make this IPL his last. A pity he couldn't represent the Indians on the pitch in their hour of success but he did at least bow out with a six a few weeks ago. At 40, Tendulkar has now officially retired from two of the major money-spinning formats IPL and ODIs. To his credit, he has left Test cricket to last but I think he should bow out this year. If he rediscovers the old form, perhaps he could persevere for longer, but at 40+ even the longest, most lucrative and stunningly successful career of the modern era has to end. Rahul Dravid, as so often, made the right decision at the right time. Perhaps Sachin is thinking of the succession plan in the national side. Essentially there doesn't seem to be one. So much batting talent in the Ranji Trophy and ODIs: Kohli, Raina, Rahane, Sharma, etc, etc, but such a shame that none have transferred their considerable potential on home soil to the Test arena around the world. Maybe it will come.

What the IPL won't produce is the next crop of Indian Test batsmen. The top order at the Indians, Super Kings, etc, are occupied by the international superstars like Gayle, Watson, Hussey and Jaywardene or retirees like Dravid and Ponting, giving little chance for the young guns. In any case, a few whirlwind 30s or 40s in IPL is hardly a firm foundation for a brilliant Test career. On the other hand, T20 does offer bowlers the chance to experiment with their craft in front of huge crowds, and has given an audience for the Narines of this world to develop. It doesn't allow them much of a chance to fail but when a bowler learns to take wickets and keep different batsmen guessing, that will hold them in good stead for any form of cricket.

Of course, this year's IPL has been rocked by the latest spot-fixing scandal. Where there's huge sums of money swilling around, there will also be unscrupulous individuals able to tempt players over to the 'dark side', risking their long-term sporting careers for short-term criminal gain. As Dravid said this weekend, that doesn't mean the IPL should be scrapped, because the dodgy bookies will merely find another tournament to taint.

And so the game moves on to what I would classify as more meaty cricket, with the 50-over Champions Trophy, more Test series and, for me, the County Championship. A 100% cake and chocolate diet is fun for a while, but mixing with some protein, carbs and greens is ultimately far more satisfying!

VVS Laxman: The right time to go

I always feel a nip of exasperation whenever I read of, or hear about a cricketer saying the next Test/series will be his last. The ECB obviously feel the same, as KP will now testify. VVS Laxman's international obituary was inevitably being written once he announced that India's forthcoming series would be his last. Oh, and was he so sure that he'd even be selected?!

Following India's decisive fall from the Test pinnacle last year, much was written about the future of the big three batting legends, Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman. Sachin remains sufficiently driven to continue a bit longer, 'The Wall' made the respected decision to retire immediately earlier this year but VVS kept everyone guessing, until now. I suspect that a few wise voices whispered in his ear that youth was to be the preferred option for the New Zealand series and, given his recent loss of form, legend number two called a halt to his international career. The Adelaide defeat thus becomes the final Test for both him and Dravid. At almost 38, I think he has made the right choice.

I must admit I don't think I recall seeing him play, so must rely the testament of others to his wristy skills and ability to compile breathtaking innings, often in adversity. The Cricinfo feature on Laxman's stats is a fascinating one . It states the case for VVS to be considered right up there amongst the best of them.

While his career average in 134 Tests sits just short of 46, with only 17 centuries, moderate by today's standards, Laxman 'suffered' by playing many games at five or six in the line-up and by failing to fill his boots against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. However, only Steve Waugh and Shiv Chanderpaul have scored more runs than him batting at these positions. Since 1998, only Tendulkar has scored more runs against Australia than his 2,434 and, he is one of the few players to have a higher average in the second innings than his first. He ranks seven in the all-time list for second innings averages and the only Indian to beat him is not Tendulkar or Dravid but the great Sunil Gavaskar.

2000-2004 was his golden period when he held his own amongst a fabulous Indian batting line-up, particularly in Tests. If nothing else, he will forever remain in the pantheon of Test superstars for his astonishing 281 at Eden Gardens in March 2001. Not only did it end Australia's seemingly invincible status but was achieved when following on. He put on 376 for the fifth wicket with Dravid (who scored 180), defying McGrath, Warne, Gillespie and Kasprowicz in their pomp, and the resulting target of 384 proved beyond Steve Waugh;s team, arguably the most formidable Test XI in the last thirty years.

Who knows what VVS would have done against New Zealand this autumn? However, by calling time now, Laxman has ensured he will be remembered for the right reasons. Statistically he not be the equal of Tendulkar and Dravid but the man from Hyderabad has performed majestically and heroically for the Indian cause, leading some of the most remarkable fightbacks in history.

Rahul Dravid - The Great Wall of India

So, after all the speculation about whether Sachin Tendulkar should simply say, "Ah, forget the 100 hundreds, let's enjoy life again" or VVS Laxman should simply shrug his shoulders and admit he can't cut it any more, it's actually the man who had the best 2011 of any batsmen in the world who has become the first of the veteran Indian trio to announce his retirement, Rahul Dravid.

Tendulkar is the one with all the batting records, the most runs, centuries, appearances, etc, but behind all the great strokemakers there are the grafters, the anchors, the batsmen who can hold up one end while the flamboyant idols do their stuff at the other. Rahul Dravid could fulfil tat role and more. He was more than just a 'Wall'; he could go for his shots, too. More than 10,000 ODI runs included almost 1000 boundaries, 42 of them sixes. He is also second only to his long-time Indian middle-order partner in Test aggregate too (at 13,288), although Ricky Ponting is poised to overtake him. Rahul may be 2000 runs behind Sachin but he did give him seven years' and 24 Tests' head start!

I was so delighted last summer to have an opportunity to witness the Taunton electronic scoreboard display both the names Dravid and Tendulkar, albeit briefly. How I'd have loved to have been there for his memorable 145 alongside Ganguly in the 1999 World Cup, or Eden Gardens for that 180 in partnership with Laxman to turn defeat into a stunning Test victory over Australia. In 2002, he scored four successive centuries, three in England, before striking three 'doubles' inside just over 6 months in 2003-4, culminating in his career-best 270 against Pakistan. Not even the Little Master has passed the 250 mark, so there!

However, like many top batsmen, his record in South Africa is relatively modest, and Sri Lanka hasn't been a happy hunting ground either. That's not to say he is a poor traveller; he averages far more in Pakistan (almost 80!), England (69) and West Indies (66) than on home soil. If it wasn't for sharing the limelight with Tendulkar, Laxman and Sehwag for more than a decade, Rahul Dravid would be mentioned amongst the all-time greats, have become a KBE and be feted wherever he goes. Actually he does have a world Test record which Tendulkar will never match: the most Test catches in a career. His 210 stands proud in the history books, although that man Ponting is only 17 behind, and even Mahela Jayawardene may have enough years remaining to narrow the 29-catch gap.

Not that Rahul Dravid is the sort of man who boasts about records. He comes across as a thinker, as calm as steady on the stage as he is on the pitch. He speaks quietly and intelligently and he makes you want to listen. I can only hope that he gives Indian cricket the benefit of his wisdom in the future - and I don't mean hiding behind the TV microphone.

People will debate who was the fairest of them all but, while I do not hesitate to say that Tendulkar ticks all the batting boxes, Brian Lara was the most exhilarating to watch and Ricky Ponting the most pugnacious, Rahul Dravid is up there as one of the most consistent and authoritative Test batsmen of his generation, perhaps in my lifetime. He deserves all the plaudits, as well as his chance to put his weary feet up while younger men have to emerge from his shadow and do the work at the crease for a change!

Team of the Year: Test Cricket

Last week, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year programme named the 'England Cricket Team' as the Team of the Year. These days, of course, there is no one international side and what they really meant was the Test squad. The ODI and T20 lot have been inconsistent but in the five-day game England have undoubtedly reigned supreme, beating Australia away and Sri Lanka and India at home on their way to becoming world number one. When compiling my multinational team of 2011, it is therefore no surprise that for once England have more members than any other country. There aren's even any Australians! Here is my selection.

Opening batsmen have not fared well this year. Is it because they are so used to going for their shots in one-day Powerplays that they forget how to build an innings? Is it the result of more teams opening their bowling with a mix of seam and spin? For whatever reason, only one genuine opener deserves his place and that is Alastair Cook. In only eight Tests across the year he nevertheless notched up 927 runs at an average of 84 and nobody can touch him. While so much attention was directed at Sachin Tendulkar and his quest for that 100th hundred, it is his old partner Rahul Dravid who has scored more Test runs than anyone else in 2011. Because of his previous credentials and unflappability, I'm promoting himto open with Cook!

There were lots of candidates for the middle order. Darren Bravo made a late bid with centuries against Bangladesh and India, while fellow West Indian Chanderpaul, Pietersen and Laxman all had reasonable years. However, at number three I have gone for Kumar Sangakkara, the only other batsman to pass 1000 runs, finishing the year with his fifth century. At four, Pakistan's Younis Khan is recognised for his consistency, although his unbeaten 200 came against Bangladesh in December. Ian Bell has to be there. After all, nobody else finished the year with a three-figure batting average, outscoring even Cook.

I have opted for a traditional all-rounder rather than an extra batting specialist, and he comes in the form of Bangladeshi Shakib al Hasan. His ability as a left arm slow bowler has never been in doubt but his recent batting against Pakistan and the Windies on Asian pitches not known for being particularly kind to batsmen gives him the nod. There are no other obvious star Test all-rounders in world cricket at the moment.

For wicketkeeper, I have plumped for Matt Prior of England. If Sanga wore the gloves at Test level, he'd walk into the team but as he doesn't, the enthusiastic Sussex man deserves his place. Ever tidy behind the stumps, if not when near dressing room windows (!), his late-order strokeplay produced a 2011 average of almost 65, reaching three figures three times, and that's world-class.

Top wicket-taker this year (with 50) has been Pakistan's off-spinner Saeed Ajmal. Although he hasn't had the opportunity to test himself against the top ranked teams, his sheer volume of wickets just edges out Rangana Herath and colleague Abdur Rehaman for the second spinner spot. Seamers have also enjoyed a fine 2011. Later on, a raft of young quicks have enjoyed instant success. Think Pattinson, Cummins, Philander and now de Lange. However, I have picked three who performed well over a greater number of games this year. James Anderson has had a rollercoaster career which is now as high as it has ever been. He is probably the finest exponent of swing at pace in the game. Ravi Rampaul took fewer wickets (31) than Broad, Edwards or Umar Gul but his average (25) and economy rate were excellent and the Trinidadian proved his worth against Pakistan and India (home and away), whie also showing he can bat a bit, too.

Standing head and shoulders above all other Test bowlers is Dale Steyn. South Africa played few matches this year but whenever he had the opportunity he demonstrated his value to his country. He just never seems to have a bad game and ended the year with another 'five for' against Sri Lanka. Regularly claiming around five wickets per match at around only 20 apiece he is truly remarkable and is an automatic choice to round off my Test XI of 2011.

Cook (Eng), Dravid (Ind), Sangakkara (Sri L), Younis Khan (Pak), Bell (Eng), Shakib (Bang), Prior (Eng), Rampaul (WI), Steyn (SA), Anderson (Eng), Saeed Ajmal (Pak).

Now look out for my one-day team of the year, coming shortly!

Dravid and Bopara back in business

So the England selectors have stuck with who they know and picked Ravi Bopara as cover for Jonathan Trott in the forthcoming Third Test. The Essex man's Lions captain, James Taylor may feel slightly unfortunate to have been overlooked but I reckon that even had he struck two stunning double-centuries, he would have lost out to Bopara.

Taylor's time may well come a few years down the line and meanwhile Ravi's ten-Test career has certainly been a rollercoaster one. A mediocre start in Sri Lanka at the end of 2007 followed by three successive centuries against the Windies and just 105 runs in seven Ashes innings two summers ago. If the cycle continues India had better watch out!
Whether he plays or not will depend on whether England go for a five-man bowling attack. The ability of Prior, Bresnan, Broad and even Swann to make lower-order runs may go against Bopara but on the other hand he can bowl some medium-pacers to give the big boys an occasional rest. I think he'll get the nod at number six.

Bopara is still only 26 but at the other end of the age scale, Rahul Dravid has also been recalled - to India's ODI squad - at 38. In recent years he may not be the ideal man for a quick run chase or panther-like fielding when slips are surplus to requirements but if you want someone to keep the scoreboard ticking, you could do a lot worse. Like Tendulkar, form is temporary but class is permanent, and he has amassed more than 10,000 ODI runs in he past fifteen years. However, India do need some good young players in the team, too, or they will look a bit creaky, World champions or not. Hopefully Raina, Kohli and the Sharmas can provide the athleticism that will be missing from the veterans. Let's face it. Dravid is only in the squad because of Yuvraj Singh's broken finger but Yuvraj was never the greatest of fielders.

Where Dravid can make the real difference is at Edgbaston next week. He has been the only one to really demonstrate the temperament and tenacity needed in a gruelling five-day match. Most of the rest are playing like they still think they are at the World Cup or IPL. I find this inexplicable because there are too many wise experienced heads in that squad. MS Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher should instil more patience and application in the team so they can show why they are - just!- the world's best Test nation. However England, with or without Bopara in the team, are in the driving seat with results and confidence in their favour. Some years ago, they would have gone with the new man, the one in form. However, like India, they've preferred experience over potential, and that to me speaks volumes for England's determination not only to win at Edgbaston but to push for a decisive 4-0 result in the whole series.

Somerset show India how it's done....

Having bought my ticket for Somerset vs Indians six months ago in eager anticipation, the weather forecast had dampened my mood somewhat this week. However, once the showers stopped by 2pm and the outfield dried in the long-awaited sunshine, Taunton sparkled and all was well with the world. It's 25 years since India last played at the ground and I'd never seen them play in the flesh anywhere. Of course, there was the added attraction of a world record holder, but more of Arul Suppiah later...!

Somerset had closed on 329-2 overnight and, after a circumspect start and the departure of Suppiah for a career-best 156, the scoring rate picked up. Young Chris Jones struck some lovely shots off Zaheer Khan and the hapless Yuvraj Singh, while James Hildreth dispatched one Mishra delivery way over the long-on boundary and into the staff car park. They declared on 425-3 once Jones made his half-century.

After the ten-minute break, skipper Gautam Gambhir looked like a man on a mission, after several months away from first-class cricket. He took Charl Willoughby apart in the first over but the veteran South African got his revenge in the fifth, inducing an edge to Joss Buttler who took a good catch. Fellow opener Mukund looked furious at being adjudged lbw with the score on 51, but that brought in the unmistakeable figure of Sachin Tendulkar. So for about six overs we all had the pleasure of watching the Little Master partnering Rahul Dravid, before the latter fell to an airy shot, prompting a frustrated swish of the bat before the long trudge back to the dressing room. Sachin played some crisp shots before becoming Craig Meschede's maiden first class victim. That's one to tell the grandchildren!

Wickets continued to tumble, and Yuvraj Singh, all smiles on arriving at the ground, followed his humiliation with the ball with a five-ball duck. Thomas and Trego weighed in with a wicket apiece from the River End, but it was Willoughby who starred. He ended the day at about 7.15 with 5-50, and India were wilting on 138-8, only Suresh Raina holding the innings together. The follow-on looks odds-on, although rain could guarantee the draw tomorrow. Andrew Strauss, an incongruous figure at first slip in a Somerset sweater, may have had his last batting practice before Lord's.

As for the fan's experience, putting the rain delay aside, it was an entertaining afternoon. Sitting in the sun-kissed Family Stand with some keen Indian supporters was great. There were frequent rumbles and dashes down to the stand near the players' entrance, mini-bats waving for autographs and cameras flashing ("over here, MS, MS, over here, here"...) but that was just the Dads! The kids were far more relaxed about it. It was also heartening to see top professionals willing to spend time signing programmes and bats, even nudging aside security staff to do so. For attention to their fans, special mention should go to Dhoni and Sreesanth. Willoughby also must have written his name dozens of times while fielding on the boundary. It wasn't the beery atmosphere of a T20 and maybe the crowds were reduced by the loss of the morning's play, but everyone seemed to enjoy it, and I for one will never forget the day when I finally got to watch Tendulkar and co in action.

Dravid and Ganguly - 15 Years On

It's good to see Rahul Dravid turn back the clock in Jamaica and produce a masterclass in patience in adversity, cementing the Indian innings while all around were falling by the wayside. He may be the oldest active Test cricketer in the business, and occasionally it shows, but class is permanent. He may have neither the adoration nor the world records of Sachin Tendulkar, 103 days his junior, but with his 112 he proved his worth to MS Dhoni's side today, and even struck a rare six towards the end of the innings before he was last out.

It is exactly 15 years ago this week when the 23 year-old Dravid made his Test debut at Lord's. The Little Master was already a veteran on the international stage at that time, albeit also 23, but remarkably another Indian batting legend also made his first five-day appearance in that 2nd Test match against England: Sourav Ganguly.

The game was drawn but Ganguly, a future captain, just about stole the honours by scoring the first of his 16 Test centuries, only the seventh Indian to do so in his debut innings. Batting at seven, Dravid wasn't far behind, falling just five runs short of three figures after six hours at the crease! England batted out the last day for the inevitable draw and so India didn't bat again. Jack Russell's 124 stole the Man of the Match award but the two debutants would go on to enjoy far greater successes over the years. One of their greatest days was in the 1999 World Cup, ironic given that one-day cricket was rarely their strongest point. I remember the TV being on in my office in London as the two men put on a then record 318 for the second wicket at Taunton against Sri Lanka. Ganguly struck seven sixes in his 183, while Dravid's 145 was almost as rapid. Later that same year, the latter shared an even greater partnership with Tendulkar, and their stand of 331 remains the world's best for any wicket in ODIs to this day. However, Ganguly's 26 century partnerships with Tendulkar make them the most prolific in ODI history by a huge margin.

Dravid and Ganguly also shared some considerable partnerships in Test cricket, alongside many with Tendulkar and Laxman, but Rahul has been part of two of the largest stands in history. The 410 made with Sehwag for the first wicket in the opening Test versus Pakistan five years ago ranks thirteenth on the all-time list. OK, so Dravid was outscored by two to one, but that's the quality of the man; prepared to play the anchor role while others go for their shots, although on his day he was a wonderful player to watch, elegant and classical in his strokeplay. With 12,000 Test runs at 52 to his name, he has a better record than Ganguly but both enjoyed being a part, along with Tendulkar and Laxman, of one of the most enduring Test batting line-ups in history. It's a shame that Sourav bowed out of Test cricket 2 1/2 years ago with a duck but he served India well and as captain laid the foundation of his country's rise to the top.

Fifteen years is a long time in cricket but it's good to remember the day it all started in England back in June 1996.