ICC Announces Test Team Of The Year; Names 3 Indian Players

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ICC has announced the best test XI for the year 2021. In this XI, ICC has named three Indian players, three players from Pakistan, two from New Zealand and one player each from Australia, England and Sri Lanka. 

ICC has named Rohit Sharma and Dimuth Karunaratne as openers in this XI. The Indian opener has scored 906 runs in 11 test matches in the last year, averaging 47.68 with 2 centuries and 4 half-centuries. Out of these, 1 century and three half-centuries have come in away series (Australia & England).

The other opener- Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne, has amassed 902 runs in 2021, in 7 matches. Karunaratne averaged 69.38 and registered 4 centuries and 3 half-centuries to his name. 

At number 3, ICC has placed the only Australian on this XI- Marnus Labuschagne. Labuschagne has continued to impress ever since he was brought in as a concussion substitute for Steve Smith. Labuschagne has scored 526 runs in 2021 in 9 innings, averaging 65.75. He has also smacked two centuries and four half-centuries in the last year. 

The number four batter on the list is England's test team captain Joe Root, who has been the lone soldier for the English team in tests throughout the year. Root has amassed a record 1,708 runs in 2021 in 29 innings, with six centuries and four fifties! Next on the list is, New Zealand's and also ICC's captain for the test team of the year, Kane Williamson. 

Apart from leading the Kiwis to a win in the inaugural World Test Championship finals, Kane Williamson has scored 395 runs in 7 innings, averaging 65.83 for his team in tests in 2021. Next on the list is Pakistan's Fawad Alam, at #6. Alam has registered 571 runs in 13 innings in the past year, averaging 57.10. Not only this, he has scored 3 centuries and 2 half-centuries in 2021 and has made his way in ICC's Test Team of the Year. 

Indian wicketkeeper comes next on the list, batting at #7 and donning the responsibility of wicketkeeping. Pant has scored 748 runs in 21 innings in 2021 and has inflicted 39 dismissals while keeping the wickets. The young Indian led India to a historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy win at the Gabba with his batting. 

The spin department in the bowling department of ICC's test team of the year consists of India's genius spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin. Apart from picking up 54 wickets in 9 matches, Ashwin has contributed with the bat as well, scoring 355 runs with a century against 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

The three pacers of the team are New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson and Pakistan's Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi. Jamieson was a part of the New Zealand team that won the inaugural WTC and picked up 27 wickets in the 5 matches he played in 2021. 

Pakistan's Hasan Ali picked up 41 wickets in 15 innings in 2021 while his bowling partner Shaheen Shah Afridi took 47 wickets in 17 innings. Both of these have spearheaded the Pakistan pace attack and have made an easy job of bashing the minnows.