Team of the week: Ravichandran Ashwin and Joe Root make the XI
Matt Floyd picks out his team of the week in world cricket
Tuesday 7 March 2017 16:41, UK
Who have been the standout performers in world cricket this week? Sky Sports' Matt Floyd picks our team of the week...
There were so many fantastic performances over the last few days that even a Test six-for isn't good enough to get Ravindra Jadeja into the team! The two spinners ahead of him though proved impossible to leave out.
Do you agree with our team? And who was the MVP from the XI this week? Tweet us @SkyCricket...
1) Martin Guptill (New Zealand)
There are few better sights than Martin Guptill taking an attack apart. Having missed the first three games of the ODI series against South Africa, he returned to put the world's No 1 ODI side to the sword with a sensational unbeaten 180. If you haven't seen it yet, you need to!
2) KL Rahul (India)
Rahul was the best home batsman in Pune and followed that up with two crucial innings on a Bunsen burner in Bangalore. Have India found another gem at the top of the order?
3) Cheteshwar Pujara (India)
His second innings 92 in the second Test turned the tide for India and gave their bowlers the platform to skittle out Australia. The fact that the Aussies collapsed so spectacularly further underlined how good an innings it was from Pujara.
4) Joe Root (England)
England's new Test Captain used all of his one-day nous to shepherd England to their target in the second ODI. At 124-6, chasing 226, things could have turned out very differently but Root's cool head made sure the visitors sealed the series.
5) Eoin Morgan (England) - Capt
His century in the first ODI was notable as he fought through a very sticky start. Not many people are talking about whether he merits his place in the side anymore.
6) Kamran Akmal (Peshawar Zalmi) - Wkt
It wasn't the best week for keepers but 35-year-old Kamran Akmal showed there's life in the old dog yet by guiding Peshawar Zalmi to the PSL title with two crucial innings in the semi-final and final. He finished the leading run scorer in the tournament.
7) Chris Woakes (England)
Woakes is the kind of player most teams would love to have. So reliable in all three disciplines, he showed his value to England with ball and bat in the first two ODIs in the Caribbean.
8) Ravichandran Ashwin (India)
Having been out-bowled by Australia's spinners in Pune, the world's No 1 Test bowler ripped through the tourists in the second innings in Bangalore. If India win the series it will be seen as a key moment.
9) Liam Plunkett (England)
Took seven wickets in the Antigua ODIs as England kept a lid on the West Indies' young batsmen. Most of them came in the middle overs and England will hope he can fulfil a similar role in the Champions Trophy.
10) Josh Hazlewood (Australia)
He was hardly required in the first Test but his 6-67 in Bangalore could have led to an Australian victory had their batsmen not crumbled to Ashwin and the rest. He is now the highest ranked Test seamer in the world.
11) Nathan Lyon (Australia)
I wonder what Nathan Lyon was thinking as he walked off the pitch at the Chinnaswamy? 8-50 and he still finished on the losing side! With Steven O'Keefe, Ashwin, Jadeja and himself all seemingly in form it promises to be a cracking end to the series.
