January 20
Rohit, Pant & Ashwin In ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year
Rohit Sharma, wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin have been included in the ICC Men’s Test team of the year for 2021. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, shall be captain of the Eleven.
ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year: Dimuth Karunaratne, Rohit Sharma, Marnus Labuschagne, Joe Root, Kane Williamson (captain), Fawad Alam, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kyle Jamieson, Hasan Ali, and Shaheen Afridi
ICC Men’s Test team of the year for 2021
Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka)
The Sri Lanka skipper is a deserved addition to the team, as he consistently got his team off to solid starts during the calendar year. He scored 902 runs in 7 matches at an average of 69.38 with four centuries. Some of his memorable innings included a double-century against Bangladesh in Pallekele and a gutsy ton against South Africa at Johannesburg. For his performances, he was nominated for the ICC Men’s Test Player of the Year award.
Rohit Sharma (India)
Rohit Sharma came into his own as an opener in the longest format of the game. He cracked 906 runs in the calendar year at an average of 47.68 with two centuries. Both of the centuries were memorable knocks in contrasting conditions against England – one at home in Chennai and the other in overcast conditions away from home at the Oval. With key assignments coming up, Sharma will have a key role to play for India in 2022.
Also Read:Congress Declares Second List Of Candidates For UP Election
Marnus Labuschagne (Australia)
2022 was a memorable year for Marnus Labuschagne as he continue to score runs in bulk while further cementing his position as Australia’s long-term No.3. His exploits also led him to ascend to the top of the charts of the MRF Tyres ICC Test Player Rankings for batting. In 5 matches, Labuschagne scored 526 runs at an average of 65.75 with two centuries.
Joe Root (England)
2021 belonged to England skipper Joe Root despite his team struggling for results in the longest form of the game. It was a year for the ages for Joe Root as he cracked 1708 runs in 15 matches at an average 61. He also six tons, all being memorable in nature and of the highest order. His 1708 runs are the third-most scored in a calendar year in the history of Test cricket.
Kane Williamson (c) (New Zealand)
Leading the 2021 ICC Test Team of the Year, Kane Williamson was an influential leader for New Zealand, leading them to glory at the inaugural World Test Championship Final against India in Southampton. He was also steady with the bat, scoring 395 runs in 4 matches at an average of 65.83 with one century.
Fawad Alam (Pakistan)
At the age of 36, Fawad Alam has finally established himself as a cornerstone of the Pakistan batting lineup in Test cricket after years of toling on the domestic circuit. He was at his sturdy best in 2021, scoring 571 runs in 9 matches at an average of 57.10 with three centuries. His tons came in tough situations against South Africa, Zimbabwe and West Indies.
Rishabh Pant (wk) (India)
Rishabh Pant further established himself as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in all the three formats, with his continuous development especially coming to the fore in the Test arena. He scored 748 runs in 12 matches at an average of 39.36 with one memorable ton against England at Ahmedabad. He also accounted for 39 dismissals in 23 innings, with his glovework continuing to improve.
