Dubai: India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, and opener Rohit Sharma have been named in the ICC Men’s Test team of 2021.
New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, who led the side to victory in the inaugural World Test Championship, is named the captain of the team. Apart from three Indians, the side has two New Zealand players, three Pakistan players, one Australian, one Sri Lankan, and one player from England.
Here's your 2021 ICC Men's Test Team of the Year 📝
Are your favourite players a part of the XI? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/GrfiaNDkpx
— ICC (@ICC) January 20, 2022
Rohit Sharma stood apart with his stellar performance in the Test series in England last year as an opener in the longest format of the game. Where he remains the highest run-scorer so far. The star opener smashed 906 runs in the calendar year at an average of 47.68 with two centuries, both of the centuries were memorable knocks against England – one at home in Chennai and the other at the Oval.
Rishabh Pant, meanwhile, established his place in the side with his consistent performances against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, and became India’s go to wicketkeeper-batsman. He scored 748 runs in 12 matches at an average of 39.36 with one memorable ton against England at Ahmedabad.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin ended 2021 as the highest wicket-taker in the longest format of the game. He scalped up 54 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 16.64, making a big impact in the home series against England and New Zealand. He also chipped in with 355 runs at an average of 25.35, which included a vital century against England in Chennai.
Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne was named the other opener alongside Rohit, while Australia’s Marnus Labushagne was named the no.3 batter (526 runs in 5 matches), England skipper Joe Root (1708 runs in 15 matches) and captain Kane Williamson (395 runs in 4 matches).
Pakistan’s Fawad Alam, who established himself as a crucial part of the Pakistan batting lineup in Test cricket after years of playing domestic cricket, also named in the list. While New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson (27 wickets) and Pakistan duo of Shaheen Afridi (47 wickets) and Hasan Ali (41 wickets) completed the XI.
ICC Men’s Test Team Of The Year: Rohit Sharma, Dimuth Karunaratne, Marnus Labuschagne, Joe Root, Kane Williamson (C),
Fawad Alam, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravi Ashwin,
Kyle Jemieson, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi
