The Men’s Test Team of the Year 2023 was revealed by the International Cricket Council (ICC), and it included two Indian spinners and five Australian players.
The Men’s Test Team of the Year 2023 was revealed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday. Two Indian spinners and five Australian players made up the squad. Pat Cummins, the captain of Australia that won the World Test Championship, was named the team’s captain, and Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin were included. Usman Khawaja was named to the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year for the second year in a row thanks to his prolific career. He became the only hitter to score more than 1000 runs in a Test match, and he finished 2023 as the highest Test scorer. In 13 games, the left-handed hitter scored 1210 runs at an average of 52.60, with six hundreds and six fifties.
Despite playing in just six matches in 2023, Dimuth Karunaratne of Sri Lanka was selected as the other opening batter.
During the away series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, the seasoned batsman accumulated 207 runs with three fifties in four innings. He averaged 60.8 while scoring 608 runs overall.
Along with his two tons of runs against Ireland, he was a major part in Sri Lanka’s resounding 2-0 series victory.
After a sluggish beginning, Kane Williamson of New Zealand amassed 695 runs in red ball cricket.
With 132, Williamson was at his best during New Zealand’s victory over England in Wellington. The Three Lions were defeated by the Kiwis by a single run thanks to his brilliant knock. He hit three consecutive hundreds as he carried on riding high on confidence. Against Sri Lanka in the second Test, he turned a century into a double hundred.
Joe Root of England was named to the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year for the fourth time in his career. He is still a candidate for Men’s Test Player of the Year.
With three 50-plus centuries against New Zealand, including 153* and 95, Root had a fantastic start to the year.
He finished the Ashes series with 118* in Birmingham as England lost, and he hit fifty against Ireland in the one-off Test.
He had a blank run in the next two Test matches, but he bounced back to help England win the Ashes on par.
Travis Head, an Australian who wins matches, had an outstanding 2023 campaign in all competitions. In the red-ball style, the left-handed hitter distinguished himself greatly, amassing 919 runs in 12 games.
In the WTC final, Head’s breakthrough performance of the year occurred as he inspired Australia with a valiant 163 in the first innings against India.
Ravindra Jadeja, the talented all-round player from India, gained entry into the team with his useful contributions with both the bat and the ball. With five wickets taken and a half-century in Nagpur during the Test series against Australia, the seasoned all-rounder made a lasting impression. In the following game, he went on to take ten wickets.
After an incredible year in the gloves, Australia’s Alex Carey will take over behind the stumps. In 2023, Carey had the most dismissals of any wicketkeeper with 54.
Despite having a disinteresting beginning to the year, he persevered against India in the World T20 championship. Australia won the game with to Carey’s 44 off 68 in the first innings and 66* in the second.
Everything Cummins touched turned to gold, and he had a dream year. He guided Australia to victory in the World Cup and then to World Cup success that broke records.
With 42 wickets in 11 games, the captain of Australia topped the pacers’ wicket-takers list. He saw ups and downs during 2023, but he finished the year on a high note by taking five wickets in each innings of the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan.
In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India’s most prolific wicket-taker was none other than veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Even though he was named Player of the Series, he was unable to get a berth in India’s playing XI for the WTC final.
With 12 wickets against the West Indies, he returned to the Test team.
Mitchell Starc of Australia and fellow countryman Cummins were selected as the second pacers. 2023 saw the left-arm bowler take an outstanding 38 wickets in nine games.
The left-arm pacer turned in a brilliant performance during Australia’s WTC victory, taking four wickets and scoring a vital 41 in the second innings, following his lackluster performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
With 25 wickets in total and the Player of the Series title, Starc dominated the Ashes and topped the charts for the series.
Stuart Broad, the veteran pacer from England who recently announced his retirement from international cricket, was extremely effective in his last year of play.
Taking four wickets in every match against New Zealand, he made headlines. With 10 wickets, he concluded the series as England’s top wicket-taker.
His career culmination came when he claimed the last wicket in England’s hard-fought victory over Australia in the Ashes final.
ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year: Usman Khawaja, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Travis Head, Ravindra Jadeja, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mitchell Starc, Stuart Broad.
