Cricket Australia picks Best Test XI of 2021; Rishabh Pant among the four Indians

The cricketing calendar of 2021 concluded with the recent South Africa vs India Boxing-Day Test in Centurion, where the tourists registered victory by 113 runs. The year 2021 saw many memorable Test matches where some batters and bowlers left a great impression through their splendid consistency.

Keeping that in mind, Cricket Australia (CA) has released their Test team of the year 2021, featuring some outstanding performers belonging from various teams.

The special XI features a maximum of four players from India followed by three from Pakistan and once each from Australia, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Sri Lanka opener Dimuth Karnuratne has been named captain of the side, while India’s young gun Rishabh Pant was picked to keep the wickets.

Here is Cricket Australia’s Test XI of 2021:

• Rohit Sharma (India)
  Matches: 11, Runs: 906, Average: 47.68, Highest: 161, 100s: 2, 50s: 4
• Dimuth Karnuratne (Sri Lanka) (c)
  Matches: 7, Runs: 902, Average: 69.38, Highest: 244, 100s: 4, 50s: 3
• Marnus Labuschagne (Australia)
  Matches: 5, Runs: 526, Average: 67.75, Highest: 108, 100s: 2, 50s: 4
• Joe Root (England)
  Matches: 15, Runs: 1708, Average: 61.00, Highest: 228, 100s: 5, 50s: 4; Wickets: 14, BBI: 5/8
• Fawad Alam (Pakistan)
  Matches: 9, Runs: 571, Average: 57.10, Highest: 1409, 100s: 3, 50s: 2
• Rishabh Pant (India) (wk)
  Matches: 12, Runs: 748, Average: 39.36, Highest: 101, 100s: 1; Catches: 30, Stumping: 6
• Ravichandran Ashwin (India)
  Matches: 9, Wickets: 54, Average: 16.64, Strike Rate: 43.00, BBI: 6/61, BBM: 9/207; Runs: 355, Average: 25.35, Highest: 106
• Kyle Jamieson (New Zealand)
  Matches: 5, Wickets: 27, Average: 17.51, Strike Rate: 41.08, BBI: 6/48, BBM: 11/117
• Axar Patel (India)
  Matches: 5, Wickets: 36, Average: 11.86, Strike Rate: 33.06, BBI: 6/38, BBM:11/70
• Hasan Ali (Pakistan)
  Matches: 8, Wickets: 41, Average: 17.07, Strike Rate: 31.00, BBI: 5/27, BBM: 10/94
• Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)
  Matches: 9, Wickets: 47, Average: 17.06, Strike Rate: 37.03, BBI: 6/51, BBM: 10/94