No Kohli, No Root! Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton's shocking picks in India-England combined XI since 2000!

Ahead of the much-anticipated five-match Test series between India and England, beginning on Friday (June 20) at Headingley in Leeds, a special segment on SKY Sports saw former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton select their combined India-England Test XI of the 21st century. The series will also mark the inauguration of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. In forming their XI, both experts followed strict criteria: players must have played after 2000, with five players from each country, while the eleventh player could belong to either side.

The opening pair chosen was a combination of flair and resilience—Virender Sehwag and Alastair Cook. “I like Rohit Sharma, but Virender Sehwag in that period. Sehwag and Cook, the most beautiful opening combination. Left and right. Dasher and blocker,” said Hussain. At number three, they picked Rahul Dravid, followed by the ever-reliable Sachin Tendulkar at four, who both agreed was a non-negotiable inclusion. The debate for number five led them to pick Kevin Pietersen, leaving out modern-day greats Virat Kohli and Joe Root, as both predominantly batted at number four.

Ben Stokes was slotted in at number six for his all-round brilliance and was also named the captain of the side. Rishabh Pant earned selection as the wicket-keeper for his impactful performances with the bat. “Dravid, Root, Kohli. Dravid batted the most at three. Dravid three, Tendulkar four, Pietersen five. So you are leaving Root and Kohli. We have missed out on Ganguly and Laxman. India does not have an all-rounder. Stokes at six. We have not picked Kohli; we have to pick Stokes as captain,” Hussain explained.

Bowling Attack and Final Selections

In the bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah and James Anderson were considered non-negotiable. While Zaheer Khan was initially picked, they eventually had to drop him to maintain the five-player limit for Indian cricketers. Stuart Broad took the final pace slot alongside Anderson and Bumrah. For the lone spinner's position, Ravichandran Ashwin edged out legendary names like Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, and Graeme Swann.

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“Kumble retired after 2008. Maybe longer. Maybe Ashwin,” said Hussain, adding a light-hearted note that Ashwin had appeared on their podcast. Reflecting on the difficulty of selections, they concluded, “Kohli will be upset, and Root will be incredibly upset. I will tell you what it shows: the unbelievable quality of cricketers these two countries have produced.”