Cheteshwar Pujara reveals his all-time India Test XI: No space for Ganguly or Pant

Cheteshwar Pujara, arguably India's most reliable Test batsman in recent times, has his all-time Indian Test XI in a chat with Sports Tak. In a lineup replete with legendary names, Pujara took some surprising decisions, most prominently by opting for MS Dhoni over the swashbuckling Rishabh Pant as the wicket-keeper and by not including iconic former captain Sourav Ganguly at all. At 37, the Saurashtra veteran explained that while picking between Pant and Dhoni was a tough call, he felt Dhoni’s leadership, calmness, and glovework gave him the edge.

"I had to pick between MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant, and though Pant is developing nicely, the legacy of Dhoni stands above all. He's the captain of this team," said Pujara. While being asked why he did not mention himself, Pujara modestly acknowledged that he feels Rahul Dravid should get the No. 3 position. "He's clearly the better player," said Pujara, putting the current head coach of India above his own Test contribution.

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An All-time Great XI with Balance & Experience

Pujara's dream XI features the ideal opener, combining hard-hitting Virender Sehwag with technically explosive Sunil Gavaskar, a perfect right-hand-left-hand opener's combination. No. 3 is Rahul Dravid to provide a bit of grit and a lot of reliability, and then Sachin Tendulkar's genius comes in at No. 4. At No. 5 and No. 6, Pujara has gone with Pujara also picks Virat Kohli with VVS Laxman; they are two of India's match-winners, and more importantly, both seem as if they were born to make big innings and attack bowls as if they practiced explosions at fire-time.

Pujara has chosen MS Dhoni to keep as well as captain. The strike force is an extraordinary package of pacers and spinners. Kapil Dev will give old-school swing and balance of an all-rounder; Jasprit Bumrah raw pace and accuracy; and lastly, utilizing his spin twin's Anil Kumble and Ravichandran Ashwin makes southern success a certainty.

This dream XI endorses the wonderful heritage of Indian cricket, bringing together legends from different fronts and eras into a fantasy Test XI of extreme diversity, wont, and iconic success.