KKR, the world's best test team

There's a perfect solution to Kolkata Knight Riders's and the Indian Premier Leagues's woes. Turn the tournament from a T20 format into a Test match special.

The tournament, which has been dogged with controversy for close to six months now, will have a fresh lease of life, while the team - which has failed to settle down in the three seasons of the IPL - will have enough time for its players to play themselves in.

The current schedule in international cricket sees six top teams competing against each other in the longest format of the game and many of KKR's top imports are finding the sweet spot with elan, something that has not been synonomous against their name when it has come to the 18 weeks of T20 action over the last three years.

First up, playing in India is Brendon McCullum, who scored a magnificent 225 in the second innings of the second Test against the hosts at Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Playing for KKR in the IPL, however, had been a completely different story. He has scored 587 runs in 22 innings at an average of 30.89. That includes 158 runs vs Royal Challengers Bangalore that came in the opening game of the inaugural edition where no one knew what to do and Bangalore were competing for the wooden spoon from game one. Take that innings out and his average drops to 20.42 from the remaining 21 innings. In contrast his Test average is a 35.38. Obviously, we know what he is better at!

Next up is calypso king Chris Gayle. Da Man has failed to find the groove when it comes to playing for KKR, but give him his whites and he transforms into a completely different player. Gayle has scored 463 runs in 16 innings for the Kolkata team, but in the ongoing Galle Test against Sri Lanka he smacked 333 runs inside two days. And while his IPL average is 32.47, his Test average is a healthy 40.31. Now what will you have rather have him play?

The third import in question is the Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis. He's bowled 28 overs in the IPL and despite all his guile and uncanny bowling style has picked up just six wickets. But give him a Test match and as the Windies found out, he picked up six in one innings of the ongoing Galle Test. So that's clear enough about where he is more effective.

There was enough talk about SRK selling off the team after three straight years of on-field flops and off-field business success. But if he can get the IPL management to think out of the box and convert the tournament into a 'I Play Longer' format better, he may just be able to save some Ra at this year's auction and retain the players who do have the potential to make KKR the best test team in the world.

After all, SRK the businessman surely knows that a Ra saved is a Ra earned!

Source: cricketnext.in.com/news/kkr-the-worlds-best-test-team/51799-13.html