Year-Ender 2024: Best test XI of the year

Khel Now’s best test XI of 2024 includes three Indian players.

The year 2024 was great for test cricket. Pacers ran the show throughout the year in the longest format of the game in most conditions barring Pakistan, where batsmen and spinners grabbed headlines.

England played the most tests and won the most tests as well in 2024, including a test series win in New Zealand. The Kiwis recorded a historic series win in India, but suffered defeats at home to England and Australia.

Australia had a great year, winning six out of nine tests. But it is South Africa who ended 2024 on a resounding note by sealing a place in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final with six wins in 10 games.

India struggled in test cricket in the latter half of the year, suffering 0-3 whitewash at the hands of the Kiwis at home and losing two tests out of four in Australia. Pakistan lost a historic home series to Bangladesh, but bounced back to win against England.

Overall, it was thrilling year for the fans of test cricket. On that note, let’s take a look at the best test XI of 2024.

Best test XI of 2024:

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal finished 2024 as the second-highest scorer of the year with 1478 runs at an average of 54. He slammed three centuries, which were two double hundreds at home against England and a score of 161 in Perth.

He also cracked nine half-centuries, two of which came in the lost Boxing Day test at the MCG.

2. Ben Duckett

Ben Duckett was the third-leading scorer in 2024 in test cricket. The left-handed English opener amassed 1149 runs at an average of 37 and strike rate of 87 with two centuries and six fifties.

Duckett’s centuries came in Rajkot and Multan. However, England lost both those tests.

3. Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson missed the three tests in India. Yet, he finished as New Zealand’s highest test scorer of 2024 with 1013 runs in only nine tests at an average of 59.

Williamson notched up four centuries and four fifties in 18 innings. However, not only all four of those tons came at home, three of those were against a second-string South African attack. Nonetheless, stats are stats.

4. Joe Root

Joe Root continued on his pristine form in test cricket to rack up 1556 runs in 17 tests at an average of 55. In 31 innings, Root hit six centuries and five fifties. His six hundreds came against five different opposition.

In 2024, he became England’s most successful batsman by eclipsing Alastair Cook on both tallies of most runs and most centuries for England.

5. Harry Brook

Although Harry Brook missed the five-match test series in India for personal reasons, he ended up as the fourth-highest run-scorer in test cricket in 2024.

Brook plundered 1100 runs in 12 tests at an average of 55 and strike rate of 85. He whacked four centuries and three fifties in 2024. He also hit a triple hundred in test cricket in 2024, which came against Pakistan.

6. Jamie Smith (Wk)

With the dropping of both Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes, Jamie Smith got consistent opportunities in 2024 in the test team and he grabbed it with both hands.

Smith was the leading run-scorer in test cricket in 2024 among designated wicket-keepers, scoring 637 runs in nine tests at an average of 42, with one hundred and four fifties.

7. Kamindu Mendis

Sri Lankan all-rounder Kamindu Mendis had a dream year in test cricket. The left-hander had a Bradman-esque run of form in 2024 as he piled up 1049 runs in nine tests at an average of 74, with five centuries and three fifties.

He performed brilliantly both at home and away in Bangladesh and England.

8. Ravindra Jadeja

Although he went under the radar in presence of a couple of other bowling greats on his team, Ravindra Jadeja had another clinical year in test cricket.

With the bat, he scored 527 runs at an average of 29 with one century and three fifties. With the ball, he was the joint fourth-highest wicket-taker of the year, snaring 48 wickets at an average of 24, including three five-fors.

9. Gus Atkinson

Gus Atkinson had a surreal start to his test career. The England speedster finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in tests in 2024, picking up 52 wickets at an average of 22 with three five-wicket hauls.

Further, he also raised a century at Lord’s and went on the Lord’s Honors Boards for both batting and bowling.

10. Jasprit Bumrah (C)

Jasprit Bumrah had one of the greatest years a fast bowler has ever had in test cricket. He was the highest wicket-taker in 2024, claiming 71 wickets at an astonishing average of only 14.92.

Bumrah bagged five five-fors, the most in 2024 by any bowler. He was a significant contributor to India’s wins in Cape Town, Perth and at home against England, and the chief reason for India being able to be competitive in the BGT 2024-25.

No bowler in the history of the game took more wickets in a year and at a better average than Bumrah’s in 2024.

While Bumrah led in only one test this year, in Perth, the way he led from the front after India were bowled out for 150 prompted us to go with him as our skipper for the best test XI of 2024.

11. Matt Henry

Matt Henry was the joint fourth-highest wicket-taker in tests in 2024. The Kiwi seamer took 48 wickets in nine tests at an average of 18 with three five-fors.

Henry’s 5/15 helped New Zealand thump India in Bengaluru, helping his side take a lead in the series.

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