Test XI of the year

[Fuller Pilch]

Thought I'd pick a test eleven for the year. Have cheated and opened with Marnus - great leaver and comes in early due to Harris anyway.

Rohit Sharma
Marnus Labuschagne
Kane Williamson(c)
Joe Root
Steve Smith
Mohammed Rizwan (wk)
Ravindra Jadeja
Kyle Jamieson
Ravi Ashwin
Pat Cummins
Jasprit Bumrah

What are your elevens?

 

[Bijed]

Fawad Alam over Smith for similar record over a slightly bigger sample size? Although if Smith tons up tomorrow, fair enough

Not sure if Jadeja's year has been too stunning, solid enough I think but not team of the year level, unless you're set on that team balance?

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Fawad Alam over Smith for similar record over a slightly bigger sample size? Although if Smith tons up tomorrow, fair enough

Not sure if Jadeja's year has been too stunning, solid enough I think but not team of the year level, unless you're set on that team balance?

Both fair points.

 

[ankitj]

Axar Patel did more than Jadeja this year.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Another option is to open with Conway (admittedly only 3 tests) and Rohit then a 3-4-5 of Marnus, Kane, and Joe.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Axar Patel did more than Jadeja this year.

All at home though.
Ajaz Patel away from home.

 

[ankitj]

All at home though.
Ajaz Patel away from home.

If for a single year XI too you want checklist of multiple countries then what's even the point

 

[subshakerz]

Would go for Shaheen Afridi over Bumrah at this point unless Bumrah does some magic in this test. Also Fawad should be there over Williamson or Smith simply due to larger sample size.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Dimuth Karunaratne deserves a special mention, at least.

 

[ankitj]

Shaheen Shah Afridi has great figures from his 21 tests. Why is he flying under the radar? Probably because he has a handful games against BD and Zim?

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Shaheen Shah Afridi has great figures from his 21 tests. Why is he flying under the radar? Probably because he has a handful games against BD and Zim?

I agree. Not much between Afridi, Bumrah, Southee, and Hazlewood

 

[subshakerz]

Shaheen Shah Afridi has great figures from his 21 tests. Why is he flying under the radar? Probably because he has a handful games against BD and Zim?

Yeah but this IMO was his breakout year. Had a great series in WI too.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Pant vs Rizwan a close one for this year.

 

[subshakerz]

Pant vs Rizwan a close one for this year.

Pant in tests and Rizwan in all formats.

 

[honestbharani]

I would probably put Karunaratne at the top bump Labu to 3 and replace Smith with Fawad and Rizwan with Pant, and remove Jadeja.


Karunaratne (c)
Rohit
Labuschagne
Root
Fawad
DDS
Pant (wk)
Ashwin
Cummins (vc)
Shaheen
Bumrah

The added advantage of 3 lefties in the top 7 and 4 overall in the XI.

 

[morgieb]

Rohit
Karunaratne
Labuschagne
Root
Fawad
Pant
Ashwin
Jamieson
Cummins
Hasan
Shaheen

Weird balance admittedly but couldn't really think of a good enough 6 - Smith and Kane haven't had the sample size, and DDS hasn't had enough consistency (though the 155* is close to the innings of the year). Besides, I'm pretty sure India rolled with Pant 6/Ashwin 7 in at least a few Tests, so meh.

 

[CodeOfWisden]

Rohit
Rahul
Labuschagne
Root
Fawad
Pant(wk)
Ashwin
Jamieson
Cummins(cap)
Shaheen
Bumrah

 

[CodeOfWisden]

What exactly has Smith done this year?

 

[Shri]

shaheen will be a certainty in my xi next year but this year afaic pak has not played any strong sides. shaheen and fawad miss out

sri lankan players alsomiss out because they have played 2 test series vs wi, one against ban and two test matches vs eng

Rahul
Rohit
Labuschagne
Root
Williamson
Pant
Ashwin
Thakur
Jamieson
Cummins
Bumrah

 

[Bijed]

What exactly has Smith done this year?

When the OP was made, he was averaging 59 for the year tbf (down to 53 now). I thought he was worse, but his bad tests from the India series were last year. 4 and a bit tests though, which imo put him below players with a similar record over more tests