Test Team Of The Year 2021

In the modern age, T20 cricket is the most attractive format in the game. However, if you would ask an ardent lover of cricket, he would still say Test Cricket as the most attractive and ultimate format of the game. The prospect of the World Test Championship is an attempt to bring more interest in the Test Cricket format.

2021 saw a lot of exciting contests in Test Cricket. The world cricket got first-ever champion in World Test Championship. New Zealand wrote their name in the record books after beating India in the WTC final. Prior to that, the Blackcaps beat England 1-0 in their own backyard in a two-match series. Had the fifth Test between India and England at Manchester not been postponed, India could have scripted history by winning a Test series in England.

Currently, England and Australia are taking on each other in the Ashes 2021-22 series. With the year almost over, we take a look at the top performers in Test Cricket over the past 12 months.

Test Team Of The Year 2021

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series in South Africa due to an injury. It’s a massive blow for India as he has been their standout batsman this year in Test Cricket. Rohit has been sensational ever he since made his comeback in Tests. He was India’s best batsman in the home Test series against England.

On turning tracks where Indian batsmen were struggling to play big knocks, Rohit kept piling on runs consistently. He then made a significant impact with the bat when India toured England for a Test series. He ensured that he would leave all the balls that were bowled at the fourth and fifth stumps. Rohit’s ability to leave the balls helped him play big knocks and thereby helped the team dominate the Test series in England’s own backyard.

Rohit Sharma is the second-highest run-scorer in Tests in 2021, having amassed 906 runs in 11 matches at an average of 47.68.

Dimuth Karunaratne

Veteran Sri Lankan opener, Dimuth Karunaratne enjoyed a dream run in Tests in 2021. He has the third-most number of runs in Test Cricket this year. He enjoyed the best time against West Indies in the home Test Series.

In 2 Tests, the Sri Lanka batter scored 278 runs at an average of close to 70. Overall, he played 902 runs in 7 Tests at an average of 69.38, including four centuries. Amongst the top-10 leading run-getters in Test Cricket, no cricketer averages more than Dimuth Karunaratne.

Marnus Labuschagne

On Thursday, Marnus Labuschagne became the fifth-fastest batsman to reach 2000 runs in Test Cricket. Labuschagne has played only 20 Tests so far and the pundits are already drawing comparisons between him and other greats in modern-day cricket. Such has been his impact in Test Cricket over the last couple of years. Labuschagne made headlines with his swashbuckling batting performance in the Ashes 2019 series. He has been piling on runs consistently since.

Marnus Labuschagne has only played 4 Tests this year, dishing out outstanding performances in whatever opportunities he got. He has aggregated 474 runs in 2021 at an average of close to 80.

Joe Root

No other cricketer in the world has scored more runs than Joe Root in Test Cricket this year. He has been in the form of his life. Root has scored the bulk of the runs for England this year. He was the highest run-scorer on the Test tour of India.

He led the run-charts even when India toured England for a Test Series. Root played 14 Tests in 2021 and managed to score 1544 runs at an average of 64.33. Besides, he has hit 6 centuries this year- the most by any batsman.

In the recently concluded first Ashes Test, Root got out on a duck in the first innings and followed up with a valiant 89-run knock off 165 balls.

Abid Ali

In the year 2021, Pakistan played Test series against South Africa, West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Abid Ali was the highest run-scorer against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. He has been piled on consistent performances in Test Cricket in 2021.

Against Bangladesh, he scored  263 runs in 2 Tests at an average of 87.67. He scored 275 in 2 Tests against Zimbabwe at an average of 81.00. Abid Ali has scored the most runs for Pakistan in Test Cricket this year. In 9 Tests, he has scored 695 runs at an average of 49.64.

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant is considered to be one of the most destructive batsmen in white-ball cricket. However, if there’s one format he has excelled in so far in his career, it’s Test Cricket. Pant has played some special knocks in Test Cricket since his debut. His Test Cricket performances, in fact, helped him make his comeback in white-ball format.

The Indian wicket-keeper batsman has played some terrific knocks with the bat in Test Cricket in 2021. He has, in fact, scored the second-most number of Test runs for India in 2021. In 11 Tests, the southpaw has managed to score 706 runs at an average of 41.52.

Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin has been outstanding for India in Test Cricket this year. India played a home Test series against England. Ashwin picked the most number of wickets in the series with 32 at an average of 14.72.

He picked four wickets in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand. In the two-match Test series against New Zealand, Ashwin claimed 14 wickets in 2 Tests at 11.36. No other bowler has picked more Test wickets than Ravichandran Ashwin in 2021. The Indian spinner has managed to pick 52 wickets in just 8 Tests this year at an average of 16.23

Axar Patel

Axar Patel has made a dream start to his Test Cricket Career. In his very first Test assignment against England, he claimed as many as 27 wickets in just 3 Tests at an average of 10.59. The left-arm spinner made full use of the turning tracks on offer as he claimed as many as four 5-wicket hauls.

Axar Patel played his fourth Test against New Zealand recently. He picked his fifth five-wicket haul during the game and thereby helped the team bowl England out for 296 runs. Patel has picked the second most number of wickets for India in 2021. In just 5 Tests, he has picked 36 wickets at 11.86.

Shaheen Afridi

Pakistan’s current best fast bowler, Shaheen Afridi has fared exceedingly well across formats in 2021. His performances in Test Cricket have played a vital role in helping Pakistan maintain a good record in Test Cricket this year.

The left-arm seamer dished out exceptional performances against West Indies, South Africa and Bangladesh, Shaheen Afridi picked 18 wickets against West Indies in just 2 matches- the most by any bowler in the series. Against South Africa, Afridi picked 7 in 2 Tests and 10 in 2 Tests against Zimbabwe. Overall, he has managed to pick 44 wickets in 9 Tests at 17.45.

Hasan Ali

Pakistan’s other lethal fast bowler, Hasan Ali has complimented Afridi really well in Test Cricket. He has been amongst the wickets in all the Test series that Pakistan have played this year. Hasan Ali was the highest wicket-taker in the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe. He picked 14 wickets in 2 Tests, including 2 five-wicket hauls.

He was also the highest wicket-taker in the Test series against South Africa, picking 12 wickets in just 2 Tests. Against West Indies, the Pakistan speedster managed 6 wickets in 2 Tests. In the recently concluded Test against Bangladesh, Hasan Ali picked a five-for in the first innings. Overall, Hasan Ali has managed to pick 39 wickets in 8 Tests in 2021.

Ollie Robinson

England’s new fast bowling sensation, Ollie Robinson didn’t have an ideal start to his Test Cricket. He was banned by ECB immediately after his debut Test for the tweets he had posted as a teenager. However, “unreserved apology” led him to make a return to the Test series ahead of the India series. Since then, he has become an integral cog in England’s fast bowling attack in Test Cricket.

In his debut Test against New Zealand, he picked as many as 7 wickets. He followed it up with impressive performances in the Test Series against India. In 4 Tests, Robinson picked 21 wickets at an average of 21.33. Overall, the England fast bowler has picked 33 wickets in just 7 Tests at an average of 20.15. He completes our Test team of the Year 2021.