Dubai, Jan 24: Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal deservedly found a place in the ICC’s Test Team of the Year 2024 that featured four Englishmen with Australian Pat Cummins as its captain.
The team also had two New Zealanders, including the redoubtable Kane Williamson. Cummins was the lone Australian to make the all-star XI.
Bumrah was nothing short of magical in 2024, dominating every team and every batter he bowled to. He became the first bowler to average under 20 with a minimum of 200 wickets in Test cricket, solidifying his place in history.
In total, Bumrah took 71 wickets in 2024 at an astonishing average of 14.92, finishing as the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket for the year. Thirty two of these scalps came in the recent Border-Gavaskar series against Australia, which India lost 1-3.
He began the year with a stellar performance against England, taking 19 wickets in four matches, including a remarkable nine-wicket haul in Visakhapatnam. At home against Bangladesh, he further extended his tally with 11 wickets in just two games.
Although his outing against New Zealand was subdued, where he picked up three wickets, it was against Australia that Bumrah truly cemented his legacy as one of the greatest bowlers of all time.
Jadeja, meanwhile, scored 527 runs in 2024 at an average of 29.27 and picked up 48 wickets at an impressive average of 24.29.
Jaiswal established himself as a premier Test opener and a standout figure in Indian batting during 2024. After a challenging series in South Africa, he made an impressive comeback in the home series against England, amassing a staggering 712 runs. This included two double centuries and three fifties, showcasing his dominance.
The 23-year-old left-handed batter continued his fine form with three half-centuries in four innings as India thrashed Bangladesh at home. He was also one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing series for India, as New Zealand achieved a historic whitewash on Indian soil.
In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Jaiswal demonstrated his class with a magnificent 161 in the second innings at Perth, bouncing back strongly after a first-innings duck. He finished as India’s top scorer in the series, accumulating 391 runs.
Over the calendar year, Jaiswal scored a remarkable 1,478 runs at an impressive average of 54.74, a tally second only to England’s Joe Root (1,556 runs in 2024 at an average of 55.57), who was also named in the ICC all-star team.
Williamson was also one of the stand-out performers in 2024 as he accumulated 1,013 runs in 2024 at an outstanding average of 59.58, making him the sixth-highest run-scorer of the year.
Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis also figured in the team after his 1,049 runs in 2024 at an extraordinary average of 74.92.
Cummins led his team to series victories against the West Indies, New Zealand, and most notably India. He took 37 wickets in 2024 at an average of 24.02 and scored 306 runs, averaging 23.53.
ICC Test Team of the Year 2024:
Pat Cummins (c) (Australia), Yashasvi Jaiswal (India), Ben Duckett (England), Kane Williamson (New Zealand), Joe Root (England), Harry Brook (England), Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka), Jamie Smith (wk) (England), Ravindra Jadeja (India), Matt Henry (New Zealand), Jasprit Bumrah (India). (PTI)
