This was a banner year for Test cricket. If 2023 had been immortalised by an unforgettable Ashes series, in 2024 the memorable results and surprises have sprung from all corners.
The year started with some unsettling news: South Africa picking a third XI squad to tour New Zealand because of a clash with their domestic Twenty20 league. Yet by the end of the 12 months, the Proteas had booked a place in the World Test Championship final by being the most consistent team for the year.
Travis Head, Jasprit Bumrah and Harry Brook headline our Test team of 2024. Credit: Aresna Villanueva
There are a few honourable mentions for players who contributed to those moments without making it into the team of the year. Shamar Joseph’s Gabba deliverance was the first of those, while in India Mitchell Santner beat the hosts’ spinners at their own game to hand New Zealand a mighty upset. And the stylish Rachin Ravindra’s time will surely come soon.
But the best players of 2024 gave us all plenty to remember beyond their raw numbers – winning matches, playing innings of top quality, or bowling spells of near unprecedented class.
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal A superb first full year in Test cricket for Jaiswal, who confounded England on home soil and then proved his all-weather capability by coshing the Australians with a pair
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