The topsy-turvy year 2020 ended on Thursday. The entire world wished to make a fresh start with 2021. Even the cricket fans are very excited for 2021. India will host England for a historic day/night Test in Ahmedabad. Besides, India will also play host to the ICC T20 World Cup later this year.
Speaking of the international cricket matches that happened in 2020, there were many high-profile Test matches. The Indian cricket team ended the year with a significant victory in Melbourne. England cricket team dominated the Test arena as their batsmen and bowlers topped the leaderboards. South Africa and New Zealand had a great ending at home. Here’s a look at the best Test XI of 2020.
Openers – Dom Sibley and Dean Elgar
Dom Sibley from England was the second-most successful batsman in Test cricket this year. The English opener scored 615 runs for his team, slamming two centuries and two fifties. His highest score in Test cricket this year was 133*. It is pertinent to note Sibley played the Tests in pace-friendly conditions of England and South Africa. Hence, his strike rate was only 37.89.
South African opener Dean Elgar will open the innings with Sibley. Elgar has a solid technique. His defense has allowed him to succeed at home and on foreign soil as well. Elgar represented his country in four Test matches. He aggregated 317 runs in seven innings.
Middle Order – Zak Crawley, Kane Williamson (c), Ajinkya Rahane, and Jos Buttler (wk)
Zak Crawley played his best Test innings of 267 runs in 2020. Crawley proved to be a great addition to the English middle order in Tests. He scored 580 runs at a batting average of 52.72 in 2020. Incidentally, even Kane Williamson played his best Test knock of 251 runs in 2020. Williamson had an excellent captaincy record as well.
Ajinkya Rahane silenced his critics with a magnificent ton in the Melbourne Test. He was the highest run-getter for the Indian cricket team in 2020. Rahane amassed 272 runs in four Test matches. Jos Buttler helped England win an important Test against Pakistan. He scored 497 runs in 14 innings, including one century and two fifties. Buttler will also keep the wickets for this team.
All-rounders – Ben Stokes and Ravichandran Ashwin
Ben Stokes surprised the cricket universe by ending 2020 as the batsman with the most Test runs this year. The ambidextrous all-rounder missed a couple of Test matches this year. Still, he finished with 641 runs in 12 innings. Stokes registered two centuries and two half-centuries in the white jersey for England. He had a top-class average of 58.27.
Ravichandran Ashwin will be the lead spinner of this XI. Ashwin did not play a single Test on Indian pitches this year. Still, he picked up 13 wickets in three Tests. He was phenomenal in the two-Test matches against Australia. Also, one of the world’s best Test batsman Steve Smith struggled against his bowling on Australian wickets.
Bowlers – Kyle Jamieson, Stuart Broad, and Neil Wagner
Debutant Kyle Jamieson from New Zealand was the breakout star of 2020. He played his maiden Test for the Kiwis against India early in 2020. He finished third on the list of the bowlers with the most Test wickets in 2020. Jamieson also scored a half-century with the bat. Thus, he will support the duo of Stuart Broad and Neil Wagner.
Broad earned his spot because he was the most successful bowler in terms of picking wickets with the red ball in 2020. The English veteran took 38 wickets in 15 Test innings last year. Tim Southee was another option for this time, his compatriot Neil Wagner won everyone’s hearts by bowling a match-winning spell on broken toes against Pakistan. Wagner also brings the ‘X-factor’ of being a left-arm speedster. Thus, Wagner completes this XI.
