The year in Test cricket is over, with top-ranked Test side Indian National Cricket team ending 2018 in style by taking out the Boxing Day Test. The pristine form of the game once again gave many reasons for their fans to talk about.
After an exciting year of Test cricket, let us look at the best Test XI of the year 2018:
TOM LATHAM (658 runs at 59.81)
The opener from New Zealand is the only opening batter to average more than 50 in the calendar year. Latham scored his first century of the year in December and only two fifties before that.
However, Tom Latham finished off the year in style with an unbeaten 264 and another century against Sri Lanka.
DIMUTH KARUNARATNE (743 at 46.43)
Dimuth Karunaratne had his most consistent year till date in his career scoring runs all over the world. Karunaratne managed to score only one century in 2018 but passed 50 in eight of his 17 innings.
KANE WILLIAMSON (C) (651 at 59.18)
Kane Williamson has been one of the consistent batters around the world, and 2018 was no different. The Kiwi skipper scored 651 runs in seven matches at an average of 59.81.
With Test series wins against England and Sri Lanka at home, and more impressively Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, Williamson will lead the team of this year.
VIRAT KOHLI (1322 at 55.08)
The year’s highest run-scorer by a country mile, Virat Kohli is on course to finish his career among the game’s best. The Indian skipper fought a lone hand for his team for much of the year, topping the run-scoring on tours of England and South Africa but still finishing on the losing side of the equation.
His five centuries have come across four different countries, and his numbers are even more remarkable when you consider the fact he only played two Tests at home in 2018.
HENRY NICHOLLS (658 at 73.11)
After a slow start to his career, the former Sydney Thunder batsman now looks every bit the Test player. He was also New Zealand’s most reliable performer of the year with three centuries and three half-centuries across just seven Tests.
JOS BUTTLER (WK) (760 runs at 44.70)
England blistering batsman Jos Buttler will peep Australia’s Tim Paine for the wicket-keeping role due to batting abilities. Buttler played crucial hands in the series against Pakistan and India. The right-hander scored 760 runs in 10 Test matches. However, Buttler didn’t keep wickets a lot for England.
JASON HOLDER (33 wickets at 12.39 and 336 runs at 37.33)
The Windies skipper had a superb year with the ball as no bowler took more five-wicket haul than Jason Holder. He also has the best average among bowlers who have taken more than 30 wickets.
He also had an impressive outing with the bat adding two half-centuries to his illustrious career.
KAGISO RABADA (52 wickets at 20.07)
The premiere fast bowler from South Africa, Kagiso Rabada topped the wicket-taking charts in 2018. The South African pacer started his year with a bang against India, before dismantling Australia.
The young cricketer was also on the verge to a Test suspension – and carried that form into series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
NATHAN LYON (49 wickets at 34.02)
It was a tight call between Lyon and Dilruwan Perera (50 at 29.32) for selection, but ultimately the Sri Lankan’s record away from home (12 at 60.91) put the Australian spinner on top.
Lyon’s numbers took a severe hit at the MCG, but it has mostly been a good year for the spinner who has become Australia’s go-to man with the ball.
MOHAMMAD ABBAS (38 wickets at 13.76)
Mohammad Abbas doesn’t have the pace of either Bumrah or Rabada but he was arguably the year’s best fast bowler. Operating in the low 130km/h territory, Abbas’ incredible skills with both the new and the old ball saw him torment Ireland, England, and Australia this year.
JASPRIT BUMRAH (48 wickets at 21.02)
To think there were fears Bumrah was only a white-ball specialist at the start of the year. The quick – and make no mistake that he is rapid – took Test cricket by storm in 2018, picking up three five-wicket hauls across nine Tests. Those are his first nine Tests ever by the way.
Bumrah’s success across three different continents saw him pip Pat Cummins to selection.
The XI
Tom Latham (NZ), Dimuth Karunaratne (SL), Kane Williamson (c) (NZ), Virat Kohli (IND), Henry Nicholls (NZ), Jos Buttler (wk) (ENG), Jason Holder (WI), Kagiso Rabada (SA), Nathan Lyon (AUS), Mohammad Abbas (PAK), Jasprit Bumrah (IND)