Sportzcraazy Test XI of 2019

The year has finally come to an end, and like every year, fans and critics alike are busy analyzing and dissecting the best cricketers of the year. We, at Sportscraazy, too have finalized our Test XI of the year, which features as many as four Indians and three Australians.

Led by Indian Virat Kohli, Test XI sees Rohit Sharma and Tom Latham as the openers. While the Indian made his debut as an opener this year, New Zealand’s Latham went from strength to strength and finished as one of the brightest prospects of 2019. Rohit made a memorable start to his career as an opener in the series against South Africa, scoring two hundred in his first two innings at the top. He finished off the series with a fine double ton against the Proteas and though he failed to sparkle in the games against Bangladesh, the aggression with which he batted against the South Africans warrants a place in the best XI.

Latham amassed more than 600 runs in just 12 innings with three hundred and a fifty to his name and rose his game when his team was under pressure.

Marnus Labuschagne was by far the surprise performer of 2019, finishing the year as the only cricketer to score more than 1000 runs in the Test format. Starting off 2019 ranked 110 in the ICC Test table, Labuschagne has sealed his number three spot in the Aussie set-up with 1104 runs at a stunning average of 65 with three tons and seven fifties in just 17 innings!

The top three batters in the ICC Test rankings, Virat Kohli, Steven Smith, and Kane Williamson make the team as well. All three premier players had huge roles to play in the successes of their teams, and once again proved why they are rated so highly after a consistent run in the format. India’s Kohli might have just scored 612 runs, but the way he led his side and handed the pace bowlers needs special mention. Team India won all but one game (a draw against Australia) in 2019, which goes on to show how special a captain Kohli is. Smith, with 965 runs, was the second highest-run getter this year and had a fabulous Ashes series where he scored more than 700 runs, while Williamson scored at an average of 51.40.

 

Ravindra Jadeja and Ben Stokes take the all-rounder’s slot in the side, with Jadeja featuring as the lone spinner as well. Both the players came of age this year, impressing with their batting, in particular, piling on crucial runs to help the side to challenge totals. Stokes’ heroics in the Ashes with the bat has been spoken about all too often, and the two will hold the aces lower down the order.

The team ends with three fast bowlers, in the form of Pat Cummins, Kagiso Rabada and Jasprit Bumrah. While Australia’s Cummins had a stellar run, picking up 59 wickets – the only bowler to get more than 45 wickets in 2019, at an average of 20.13, Rabada picked up 33 from eight games with best figures of 4 for 38. Bumrah, who was out injured for the second half of the year, played just three games but ended with 14 wickets at a jaw-dropping average of 13.14, including a hat-trick. He got two five-wicket hauls in the six innings that he bowled, and the wicket tally would have been higher if a stress fracture in his lower back had not ruled him out.