The International Cricket Council (ICC) have announced the ICC men’s Test Team of the Year 2024 with Australian captain and pace bowler Pat Cummins leading the side. However, there was no place in this line-up for two top Indian stalwarts – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Former India captain Kohli managed only 417 runs in 10 Tests last year at a disappointing average of 24.52, in spite of a second-innings century in the first Test vs Australia in Perth. Indian Test captain Rohit Sharma didn’t fare much better either – scoring 619 runs in 14 Tests at an average of 24.76. But the tour down under was a disaster for him as he managed only 31 runs in 6 innings before finally dropping himself from the fifth and final Test at the SCG.
Cummins captains the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year for the second successive year, earning his place thanks to another memorable stint in which he guided his side to the ICC World Test Championship Final, overseeing victories against Pakistan, New Zealand and India, and picking up 37 wickets in his nine Tests at an average of 24.02.
Australia’s Pat Cummins captains a star-studded ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year for 2024
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India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal takes a spot atop the order after scoring 1,478 runs during the year at 54.74, which included double-centuries in back-to-back Tests against England in February and a sublime 161 against Australia in Perth. His opening partner is Ben Duckett, one of four Englishmen who appear, and another who scored over a thousand Test runs in the year (1,149).
Century-makers litter the middle order, comprised of New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, English duo Joe Root and Harry Brook and Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis. Williamson notched 1,013 runs in 2024 at an average of almost 60, while Brook’s 1,100 calendar runs were headlined by a record knock of 317 in victory over Pakistan in October. Mendis enjoyed a breakthrough year, hitting five centuries and becoming the fastest to 1,000 Test runs in 75 years, while the evergreen Root scored more Test runs (1,556) and recorded more centuries (6) than anyone else.
Jamie Smith earns a spot as the designated wicketkeeper in the Test Team of the Year, six months after making his Test debut for England, thanks to 637 runs in nine Tests which included a maiden hundred against Sri Lanka in August.
Captain Cummins is joined in the bowling group by all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja of India, who boasted 527 runs and 48 wickets in his Test year. Also with 48 wickets is New Zealand’s Matt Henry, the pacer making impressive contributions against Australia, India and England.
Completing the list is top-ranked Test bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who excelled once more with ball in hand, topping the wicket-taking charts with 71 wickets in 2024 at a sensational average of 14.92.
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