Just two Indian players find mention in Apex Cricket Body’s Test team of Year

Cricket’s Apex Body announced their Test Team of the Year 2023. Unsurprisingly there were five Australian players in the playing XI. In yet another surprising move only two Indian players found their names in the XI. 

It wasn’t Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli, the lethal duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin. The pair have featured in seven Test matches for India during the calendar year of 2023. 

Yet another surprising name on the list is that of veteran pacer James Anderson. The 41-year-old is just ten wickets shy of 700 Test wickets. Stuart Broad who retired from the game last year finds his name in the list. 

Apex Cricket Body names its Test Team of the Year 2023 – 

Test cricket played a key role in 2023 in the calendar and the Apex Cricket Body decided to name its best Test XI. Usman Khawaja and Dimuth Karunaratne were named as the openers of the side. Usman Khawaja in particular had an impressive year in 2023 with the bat. 

Kane Williamson and Joe Root were named in the number three and number four spots. The Kiwi legend played an amazing innings versus Sri Lanka at the start of 2023 to help his team win a close game. Joe Root on the other hand showed his class with the bat to keep his run-scoring form alive. 

Travis Head comes in at number five after his terrific century in the final of the World Test Championships final. Ravindra Jadeja finds himself at number six having played 7 games in 2023. Jadeja scored 281 runs with the bat with two half-centuries and picked 33 wickets with the ball. 

The wicket-keeping duties were entrusted to Alex Carey while Pat Cummins was named the skipper. At number 9 comes Ravichandran Ashwin who played seven Tests in 2023. The veteran spinner 150 runs with the bat and picked 41 wickets with a best of 7/71 versus West Indies. 

The final two spots in the team went to fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Stuart Broad. The former England bowler retired from the game after the Oval test versus Australia where Broad picked the final two wickets.   

Test team of the Year 2023 – 

Usman Khawaja, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Travis Head, Ravindra Jadeja, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (Captain), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mitchell Starc, and Stuart Broad.