Best Test XI Of The Year 2019
Published - 25 Dec 2019, 02:59 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:02 AM
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Best Test XI Of The Year 2019: Yet again the fans of cricket has witnessed a brilliant season in 2019. Starting with India’s tour to Australia, followed by the Indian Premier League, ICC World Cup 2019 and then the Ashes Trophy 2019, and the brilliant home series’ victories for India and Australia in Test formats of the game. A lot of cricket was played in the year 2019, and we came across quite a few exceptional performances from the players.
While a few had a tough time in the middle, a few players continued their glorious form with the bat. There are a few players, who made an excellent comeback in this year while a few cricketers etched their name in the record books with stunning performances. Regarding the same, we have brought you the Best Test XI of the year 2019. Have a look:
Best Test XI Of The Year 2019:
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1. Mayank Agarwal:
His fantastic form was rewarded by the selectors when he was chosen in the Test squad to tour West Indies in September 2018. Though he didn’t get to play in that series. Opportunity knocked once again for the Karnataka opener a few months later when Prithvi Shaw was ruled out due to an injury and Agarwal was called in as a replacement for the Australian tour.
He delivered straightaway for the team with excellent performances facing the likes of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon. After a quiet West Indies tour, he was back to his indomitable best in the home series against South Africa and Bangladesh.
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The opener racked up 340 runs – which included a century and a double ton – in the three Tests and was also the second leading run-scorer for India in the series. In total, he scored 754 runs in 8 matches at an average of 68. Mayank Agarwal also registered three centuries and two fifties.
2. Rohit Sharma:
It has been an excellent season for Rohit Sharma with the bat across the formats. People have often criticised the Mumbai batsman for his lack of application with the bat in the longer version of the game. Still, he proved them wrong with his excellent performances whenever an opportunity came his way. After showing his class in the middle overs, he was asked to open the innings, which turn out to be a great move by the team management.
He scored 556 runs in five games at an incredible average of 92.66. Rohit Sharma also registered a double century to his name alongside three centuries. Not only in Test format, but he also showed his class in the limited-overs format.
3. Marnus Labuschagne:
What a year it was for Marnus Labuschagne? The flamboyant batsman replaced Steve Smith, who was ruled out of the remainder of the Test match after a short ball from Jofra Archer struck him on the neck. Marnus wasted no time in impressing everyone and stroked a brave fifty to help Australia draw the match.
Labuschagne, who will probably be always known as the concussion substitute for Steve Smith, now has scores of 185, 162 and 110-not out in his last three Test innings. He is currently only the third Australian batsman to attain such a feat after Charles Macartney in 1926 and Don Bradman in 1937-38.
In total, he scored 1022 runs in 15 innings at an average of 68.13. Marnus Labuschagne also scored three centuries and six fifties. Guess what? He only scored one six in the entire season.
4. Steve Smith:
It was a year to remember for Steve Smith. His return to the longest format of the game after the ban is a story of redemption that is worthy of a million-dollar movie script. The former Australia captain enjoyed a remarkable series in England, scoring a total of 774 runs in just seven innings and played a pivotal role in his side’s two victories in the drawn series.
He registered 144 and 142 at Edgbaston, 92 at Lords, 211 and 82 at Old Trafford, and 80 and 23 at the Oval to mark his return to Test cricket. He is the third leading run-scorer in this year with 873 runs in just 11 innings. It includes three centuries and three fifties.
5. Virat Kohli (c):
The skipper of the Indian National Cricket Team Virat Kohli once again had a fantastic year under his belt. The right-handed batsman scored runs consistently and led the team from the front. The series victory in Australia is a massive achievement, which he rated it more than ICC World Cup 2011 victory.
Kohli amassed 612 runs in 11 innings. Surprisingly, he failed to knock down runs on flat wickets, where the other batsman excelled in bagging a few runs in their account. Still, Virat Kohli finished in the top 10 run-scorers’ chart, as he managed to bag those crucial runs on tough wickets. All in all, 2019 will remain as one of the finest years in the Virat Kohli’s career as a batsman and the skipper.
6. Ben Stokes:
From World Cup to the Ashes, England all-rounder Ben Stokes had a phenomenal year, and without any doubt, he finds a place in Best Test XI of the year. He scored 772 runs in 19 innings that include two centuries and four fifties. With the ball, he picked up 20 wickets to finish as one of the best all-rounders of this season as well.
Stokes is at his peak right now, and it couldn’t get any better for the left-hander when he played an astonishing unbeaten knock of 135 and his last wicket partnership with Jack Leach, who contributed 1 in a stand worth 76 runs as England pulled off a stunning one-wicket win over arch-rivals Australia, in a keenly contested Headingley classic.
7. Quinton de Kock (Wkt):
Though South Africa failed to perform in this season, the young Quinton de Kock was consistent with the bat. More often than not, he came good with the bat to make things fall in place for his side. He also earned a lot of praise for his wicket-keeping skills as well.
In 13 innings, he scored 584 runs at an average of 44.92. It includes a couple of centuries and four half-centuries that were laced with 80 boundaries and four sixes.
8. Pat Cummins:
Pat Cummins had a sensational year and a much-deserved player to be in the best XI chart of the year. He tops the table with 54 wickets in 21 games at an average of 20.65. And also, Cummins leaked runs at an economy rate of 2.74. The season also witnessed his rise as an all-rounder as he turned out to be a vital cog for Australia.
He is currently the world’s number one bowler in Tests. Cummins has been leading the pack of Aussie quicks for the last one year with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood having their share of injury problems.
9. Neil Wagner:
The left-handed fast bowler from New Zealand, Neil Wagner is one of the finest fast bowlers that New Zealand has ever produced. Like last year, Wagner once again finished as the best bowler of New Zealand this year. Of late, Wagner has been employing the short ball tactic to brutal effect. It has proved to be a wicket-taking option for him across the globe.
Wagner picked 36 wickets in 9 innings at a strike rate of 35.7 including four five-wicket hauls in this year alongside 9 for 73 in a single match.
10. Mohammed Shami:
The Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami finished 2019 as the highest wicket-taker in the Test format of the game for India. His rise as a fast bowler helped India to achieve a few finest victories in the history of Test cricket. Shami alongside Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar formed a world-class lineup for India.
He finished the year with 33 wickets in 16 innings. Shami got the strike rate of 35.3 and leaked runs at an economy rate of 2.85. All those scintillating numbers have made him walk into this chart.
11. Nathan Lyon:
The right-handed off-spinner from Australia is the sole spinner, who ruled the highest wicket-takers table in the season, which was dominated by the fast bowlers. Nathan Lyon finished as the second-best bowler of the year with 41 wickets to his name. The flamboyant bowler also helped his side with some crucial matches down the order.
During this year, Nathan Lyon also bagged quite a few records to his name for Australia. He registered a couple of 5-wicket hauls, with the best figures of 9/161 in a match. With his ability to contribute anywhere in the world, Lyon will easily walk into the best Test XI of the year.
