Best Playing XI of Tests in 2021
Test cricket witnessed some epic moments in the year 2021, moments that will stick with the fans for a long time. A second-string Indian side beat Australia at The Gabba, breached the fortress of the kangaroos and won the four-match Test series 2-1, and Kane Williamson’s men created history by emerging as the champions of the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship (WTC).
Joe Root has made batting look ridiculously easy this year, while Ravichandran Ashwin has been outstanding with the red cherry in hand in 2021. In this article, let us take a look at the best Test XI of 2021.
Openers: Rohit Sharma and Dimuth Karunaratne
Rohit Sharma and Dimuth Karunaratne will open the batting in this side. Both these men have scored a combined 1808 runs in Tests this year, and have plundered 6 hundreds and 7 fifties together as well. While Sharma averages 47.68 with the willow in 2021 in the whites, Karunaratne averages a splendid 69.38 this year.
Middle Order and Keeper: Joe Root, Kane Williamson, Kyle Mayers and Rishabh Pant
Joe Root has experienced a fairytale run with the bat in 2021 in the whites. The England batting maestro is the highest run-scorer in Tests played in 2021 and has plundered a colossal 1708 runs in 2021, at an average of 61.00. In fact, with his superlative run with the willow this year, Root now holds the record for scoring the most runs in a calendar year by an England cricketer in Tests.
New Zealand legend Kane Williamson will lead this team. Williamson was outstanding both as a leader as well as a batter in Test cricket in 2021. It was under Williamson that New Zealand won the inaugural edition of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), beating India at Southampton. With the bat too, Williamson has amassed 395 runs this year and has scored his runs at an average of 65.83.
Kyle Mayers’ stunning 210* against Bangladesh helped the West Indies chase down a target of 395 this year. Mayers has scored a total of 636 runs in 2021 and has scored his runs at an average of 35.33. Rishabh Pant has experienced a stellar year in the whites in 2021. The Indian wicket-keeper has scored 714 runs this year and has scored his runs at an average of close to 40. Pant has also scored a hundred and 5 fifties this year as well.
All-rounders: Ravichandran Ashwin and Kyle Jamieson
Ravichandran Ashwin is the leading wicket-taker in 2021 in Test match cricket. The spin bowling legend has taken a whopping 52 wickets this year and has taken his wickets at an average of just 16.67. Ashwin has also taken 3 five-wicket hauls in 2021 alone. The right-hander has also scored 341 runs with the willow this year, including a hundred.
Kyle Jamieson was also superb with the ball this year. The tall Kiwi pacer picked up 27 wickets in just 5 Tests this year and took his wickets at a splendid average of 17.51.
Bowlers: Shaheen Afridi, Ollie Robinson and Hasan Ali
The Pakistan pace bowling duo of Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali were outstanding with the red cherry in 2021. While left-arm pacer Afridi scalped 47 wickets this year at an average of just 17.06, Hasan Ali prized out 41 willow wielders.
Ollie Robinson was also scintillating with the ball this year. The England right-arm pacer picked up 37 wickets at an average of just 21.16, including 2 fifers as well.
