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Cricket PlayersFour Indians but no place for Virat Kohli in Cricket Australia's Test XI of the year
Cricket Australia released its Test XI of the year, with as many as four Indian players making the cut. However, Virat Kohli was not among them as the India captain went a second year without scoring a century.
Cricket Australia released its Test XI of the year, with as many as four Indian players making the cut. However, Virat Kohli was not among them as the India captain went a second year without scoring a century. He scored 536 runs in 2021 from 11 matches including four half-centuries at average of 28.21, a stark contrast to his career average of over 50.
Among the four Indians to have made the list are Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and the spin duo of R Ashwin and Axar Patel. Rohit was India’s leading run-scorer in Tests with over 906 runs, including two centuries. He averaged an impressive 47.68 with four fifties and a best of 161 against England.
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Pant owned the first-half of the year with his exploits against Australia and England, and while the second half wasn't as exciting for the 23-year-old the young wicketkeeper batter was able to finally announce himself at the world stage. He ends the year with 748 runs from 12 matches at an average of 39.36, including one century and five fifties. Besides, Pant took 30 catches and affected six stumpings.
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Meanwhile, Ashwin ended the year with 54 wickets in just nine wickets with a best of 6/61. Thrice he was able to pick up a five-wicket-haul and even shone with the bat in that terrific draw at the SCG and a century in Chennai. Partnering him as the other spinner was Axar Patel, who played just five Tests for 36 wickets.
Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne was appointed captain of the XI, while the likes of Marnus Labuschagne and Joe Root found a place in the top five with New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson being the all-rounder. Pakistan's pace duo of Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi were rewarded with a berth, although there was no place for their captain Pat Cummins or Nathan Lyon.
