The clock is steadily ticking on the year 2019. And, what a year it was for Test cricket lovers. Who can forget India&#8217;s historic win on Australia soil at the start of the year of Sri Lanka and Kusal Perera&#8217;s epic heist when the island nation turned the tables on the South Africans in their own den.

The Ashes 2019, Ben Stokes&#8217; epic heist, Jack Leach&#8217;s stonewalling 1 not-out at Leeds, and, several new stars who proceeded to unleash their precocious talent on the world stage- the year 2019 had it all. And, so what better than to relive all the vital moments of the year by compiling them into a side.

Here&#8217;s the Best Test XI of 2019:

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-372010" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mayank-Agarwal-1.jpg" alt="Mayank Agarwal" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-372010" class="wp-caption-text">Mayank Agarwal. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

If the tale-end of 2018 saw Mayank Agarwal announce himself on the world stage with his whirlwind half-century on debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the entirety of the year 2019 saw the evolution of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/dinesh-karthik-loses-temper-after-a-ranji-game-against-karnataka-exchanges-words-with-karun-nair/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Karnataka </a>batsman into a top-quality Test match opener.

Agarwal started the year with yet another half-century at the Sydney Cricket Ground where he looked in complete control against the likes of Nathan Lyon, and while he endured a lean series in the Caribbean [80 runs in 2 Tests at 20.00], the right-hander united with Rohit Sharma in the second half of the year as his fellow opening partners and churned out 340 runs at an average of 85.00 against the Proteas before emerging as the leading run-scorer [257 runs at 128.50] against Bangladesh.

Best innings: 243 off 330 balls vs Bangladesh in Indore

On a lively attack with the ball hopping around, Agarwal gave a great account of himself as a Test match opener when he successfully negotiated the tricky period before cashing on big time with his &#8216;Sehwagesque&#8217; strokeplay to hammer the Bangladeshi bowlers to the tune of 243 off 330 balls.

One of the defining moments of that knock was of Virat Kohli urging Agarwal to convert his hundred into a daddy inning and the latter duly obliging to his captain&#8217;s wishes.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-376647" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Tom-Latham.jpg" alt="Tom Latham" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-376647" class="wp-caption-text">Tom Latham. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

We talk about Rohit Sharma, David Warner for the flair that they bring to Test match opening. We even talk about Dimuth Karunaratne or Dean Elgar for their grit, tenacity, resilience. But, we often tend to mention the name of Tom Latham in the same breath with all these aforementioned names. But, the truth of the matter is, in this day and age where quality Test match openers are at a premium, Latham is a rare mix of grit and consistency.

Since the start of 2018, Latham has racked up 1210 runs in 23 innings at an average of 57.61 with five hundreds and two half-centuries. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/special-thanks-to-sri-lanka-from-bottom-of-our-hearts-azhar-ali-thanks-dimuth-karunaratne-and-co-for-touring-pakistan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dimuth Karunaratne </a>has scored the most runs [1249 in 31 innings] since 2018 but he has also played 8 more innings than Latham. No opener barring Latham [minimum 20 innings] has scored more hundreds or is averaging in the fifties. If you consider the stats of only 2019, Latham has racked up 552 runs in 11 innings at an average of 55.20 with three hundred.

Best Innings- 154 vs Sri Lanka, Colombo

One of the things that separate Latham from the rest of the non-Asian openers, is that he thrives on low and slow tracks of the subcontinent and is very comfortable against quality spinners. Latham has displayed that in the past in India, and he showed that against Sri Lanka when he compiled a gritty 154 in Colombo to help the Kiwis stage a fightback and level the 2-match series with a comfortable win by an innings and 65 runs.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-374583" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Marnus-Labuschagne.jpg" alt="Marnus Labuschagne" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-374583" class="wp-caption-text">Marnus Labuschagne. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)</figcaption>

At the start of the year, when Marnus Labuschagne was called up to the Australian set-up for the New Year Test against India, no one could have fathomed that by the end of the year, the South African-born International would go on to become the heartbeat of Australian batting unit. And, everyone had good enough reasons to be apprehensive about the prospect of Labuschagne emerging as the No.3 contender.

His Sheffield Shield average hovered into the mid-30s; a far cry from the cricketers of the past who would come into the Australian set-up boasting of averages in excess of 50. After a lean outing in the first Test against India, when the entire world was hooked to the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/special-thanks-to-sri-lanka-from-bottom-of-our-hearts-azhar-ali-thanks-dimuth-karunaratne-and-co-for-touring-pakistan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cricket World Cup</a>, Labuschagne was quietly churning out runs for Glamorgan in the County Championship, racking up 1114 runs in 18 innings at an average of 65.52 with five hundred and as many half-centuries.

Labuschagne is the only batsman to rack up 1000+ runs in 2019. In 10 matches, the right-hander has amassed 1085 runs at an average of 67.81 with seven half-centuries and three-hundreds, and he still has one Test inning to go to further enhance his lead at the top.

Best innings- 59 vs England, Lord’s

Such was his preparation leading into the Ashes, that no wonder, Labuschagne was more than ready for Test cricket when the opportunity finally arrived in albeit unexpected circumstances.

Coming into bat as a concussion substitute for Steven Smith, Labuschagnes’ baptism with fire saw him rack up a fighting half-century in the fourth innings at Lord’s; one that not only helped Australia save the second Test but also pave way for the right-hander to accumulate scores of 74,67,11,48 and 14 in his first Ashes series. And, if there were any doubts as to whether he can amass handsome hundreds, the right-hander shrugged them off with three back-to-back hundreds [195,162 and 110 not-out] in the home summer against Pakistan and New Zealand.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-351708" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/CT_360448.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-351708" class="wp-caption-text">Steve Smith (Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)</figcaption>

Ball-Tampering ban, hostile crowds, Ashes series in England after a 12-month layoff, and lots of runs &#8211; it was that sort of a series for Steve Smith and England. Leading into the Ashes, all the talks were around how hostile the crowd would be at Smith, and how the right-hander would react to it? He trudged onto the ground for his first Test innings at Edgbaston to thunderous boos from the Poms but such was Smith’s unrelenting zeal to just bat, bat, and bat, that by the time the series got over, all those boos had been converted into standing applause.

The former Australian captain plundered the hapless <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricketing-fraternity-mourns-the-passing-of-english-legend-bob-willis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">English </a>bowlers to the tune of 774 runs at an average of 110.57 with three hundred, almost singlehandedly spearheading the batting unit. In seven innings in 2019, the champion batsman racked up 873 runs at an average of 79.36, and he would be looking forward to capping off the year with another hundred; something that has eluded him in the home summer thus far.

Best innings- 144 vs England, Edgbaston Cricket Ground

Smith scored hundreds and double-hundreds for fun in the Ashes, but if we have to single out his best innings, it has got to be his 144 in the opening Test in Birmingham. At 8-122, Australia looked down and out for all money but Smith had other ideas. The right-hander scored a sublime 144 off 219 balls and stitched crucial partnerships of 88 and 74 runs respectively with Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon to lead the Aussies to a respectable total of 284 and backed it up with another pristine inning of 142 in the second innings; one that eventually helped the tourists’ breach England’s fortress and take a 1-0 lead in the 5-match series.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-361996" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-Tests-1.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli Tests" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-361996" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Such are the standards that Virat Kohli has set for himself that you may be forgiven to think that the Indian captain had a slight lean year with the bat. Except, he didn’t! In eight Tests that Kohli played this year, the Indian captain racked up 612 runs at an average of 68 with two half-centuries and as many three-figure scores including his career-best of 254* against the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/south-africans-tipped-off-conditions-tough-dn-test-matches-australia-james-anderson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">South Africans</a>.

But, Kohli isn’t only here in this list as a batsman, he is also here as a captain. As a leader, Kohli had a stupendous year in Test cricket. Not only, did he become the first Asian captain to win a Test series in Australia at the start of 2019, he also proceeded to remain unbeaten throughout the year as India scripted seven back-to-back victories- 0-2 vs West Indies, 0-3 vs South Africa, 0-2 vs Bangladesh- to not only reinforce their position at the top of ICC Test rankings but also claim a gobsmacking 360 points in the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/india-strengthen-their-top-spot-in-the-icc-test-championship-with-yet-another-win/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ICC Test Championship</a> table.

Best Innings- 136 vs Bangladesh, Pink Ball Test, Kolkata

There is no ball or no conditions where Virat Kohli can&#8217;t score. And, he once again proved that in India&#8217;s first-ever Pink Ball Day-Night Test.

With the pink ball darting around all over the place under the lights, the Indian captain put on a masterclass of the highest order, lacked with sumptuous cover-drives and bucket loads of patience, to become the first Indian to score a pink-ball hundred, much to the delight of 50,000 + people watching at the Eden Gardens.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-373766" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes-1.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-373766" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

If in the future, there is a Hall of Fame for the best cricketers of the year 2019, Benjamin Stokes will be the first player to feature in that list. Stokes played, probably, two of the greatest innings by an English batsman this calendar year. After having led England to World Cup glory through his unbeaten knock of 84 in the final against New Zealand, not many would have backed Stokes to script an encore of it- that too against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/only-india-can-compete-with-australia-down-under-feels-michael-vaughan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Australia</a> with the Ashes on the line.

But, it was that sort of year for Ben Stokes where he accentuated the boundaries as to what can be achieved on a cricket field. And, he certainly did accentuate those limits when he stonewalled the Aussies to the tune of 135 not-out at Leeds to help England save the Ashes. Overall, in 11 Tests, the 2019 ‘BBC Sports Personality of the Year’, racked up 772 runs at an average of 48.25 besides claiming 20 wickets with the ball.

Best Innings- 135 not-out vs Australia, Leeds

It has got to be that miraculous 135 not-out that Stoked played on that historic afternoon in Leeds. And, not only because of the volume of runs that he scored but also because of the different gears in which he paced that knock.

From blocking the hell out of everything (3 off first 72 balls) to smashing the daylights out of the Aussies in the second half- which included switch-hits, reverse paddle, square-cuts, ferocious hooks- of his innings, besides pacing the innings in between, Stokes virtually played every single gear that a batsman can operate in, to give England their first-ever successful 350+ run-chase in Test cricket. That, after having being bowled out for 67 in their first innings and reduced to 9/286 in the second.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-374534" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/BJ-Watling.jpg" alt="BJ Watling" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-374534" class="wp-caption-text">BJ Watling. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)</figcaption>

No matter how many runs he scores or the number of hundreds he churns out or the number of dismissals he affects with his wicketkeeping gloves, BJ Watling still manages to stay under the carpet, whenever there are talks about the leading wicketkeeping batsmen in Test cricket.

No designated wicketkeeper-batsman has scored more runs [3195 in 88 innings] and at a better average [42.60 including seven tons and 17 half-centuries] in this decade than BJ Watling. Yet, if you look at the best XI of the decade in Test cricket, rarely you&#8217;d find his name in the celebrated list. Yet, Watling is unfazed by it. All he knows is to score runs, take catches and contribute to the team. And, he did that with disdain in 2019. In six Tests this year, the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-bowlers-keep-new-zealand-at-bay-after-travis-heads-ton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New Zealand </a>wicket-keeper scored 575 runs at an average of 52.27 with four half-centuries and two hundred.

Best Innings- 205 off 473 balls vs England, Bay Oval

It has got to be the double-hundred that he scored against the likes of Archer and co, one that not only grounded the English bowlers into the dust but also paved for an innings win for the home side.

Chasing England&#8217;s first innings total of 353, New Zealand needed to score big, if they were to harbor any thoughts of winning the Test match, butat 6-316, that looked unlikely! Enter BJ Watling and Mitchell Santner. No wicket would fall for the next 83.2 overs, as the duo accumulated 261 runs for the seventh wicket to completely bat the visitors out of the game. Watling scored a pristine 205 off 473 balls as the Kiwis plundered a Brobdingnagian total of 9-615 declared.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-352077" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/CT_359583.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-352077" class="wp-caption-text">Nathan Lyon (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)</figcaption>

If someone utters Nathan Lyon and 2019 in the same breath, the first visual that will come into several minds will be of Lyon holding his head down in agony after having missed the all-important run-out in the closing stages of that <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/jack-leach-buys-painting-of-ben-stokes-headingley-celebration-at-pca-awards-ceremony/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Headingley</a> Test. The agony would accentuate to the hilt with the realization that he didn&#8217;t have the review at his disposal, on the very next ball when he trapped Ben Stokes plumb in front.

That disappointment notwithstanding, Nathan Lyon still had a pretty good year in Test match cricket. The off-spinner finished at the numero-uno spot as far as most wickets for spinners around the world is concerned. The most successful Aussie off-spinner of all time claimed 41 wickets in 22 innings at an average of 33.73.

Best spell- 6-49 vs England, Edgbaston 2019

If Steven Smith was instrumental in breaching the fortress that is the Edgbaston Cricket Ground, so was Nathan Lyon.

The off-spinner claimed 6-49 in the second innings, which included the wickets of Joe Root, Joe Denly, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, to help the Aussies notched up a 251-run win in the opening Test.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-371702" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mohammed-Shami.jpg" alt="Mohammed Shami" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-371702" class="wp-caption-text">Mohammed Shami. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

If 2018 was a year of redemption, 2019 proved to be the year of sustained dominance by Mohammed Shami. In the past 12 months, Shami has looked like a complete beast altogether; not only has he got fitter, his intensity, which used to have a few question marks in the past, was top-notch throughout 2019

Out of all the fast bowlers who claimed more than 30 wickets, Mohammed Shami has the best average- 16.66. Overall, in eight <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/my-india-isnt-broken-harsha-bhogle-pens-down-a-strong-opinion-amid-caa-protests/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tests</a>, Shami claimed 33 wickets at a strike-rate of 35.3 and one five-wicket haul

Best Spell-  5-35 vs South Africa, Vizag

Temba Bavuma- Beaten by pace, Faf du Plessis- Beaten by the length, Quinton de Kock- Beaten by pace. Watching the South African&#8217;s get absolutely bamboozled with the pace and hostility of Mohammed Shami on Indian track was a stuff of dreams for Indian fans.

And, Shami did turn that dream into a reality when he turned on his &#8216;second innings Shami&#8217; moniker to bamboozle the Proteas in Vizag, claiming a well-deserved five-wicket haul.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-312447" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Pat-Cummins-1.jpg" alt="Pat Cummins" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-312447" class="wp-caption-text">Pat Cummins. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Since his comeback during the tour of India in 2017, no bowler has bowled more overs or taken more wickets than Pat Cummins. The right-hander took his performances to another level in 2019, as he spearheaded the Australia pace attack to lead his side to Ashes glory in the English summer.

In 12 Tests, Cummins claimed 55 wickets- 13 more than the next best: <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/did-he-not-walk-wow-stuart-broad-on-kane-williamson-not-walking-after-nicking-the-ball-against-australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stuart Broad</a> [42 wickets at 24.71]- at an average of 20.38 and a strike-rate of 44.9 which also included a five-wicket and a ten-wicket haul.

Best Spell- 4-43 vs England, Old Trafford, Manchester

Pat Cummins claimed heaps of wickets and bowled a plethora of match-winning spells in the 2019 Ashes The right-hander finished as the leading wicket-taker- 29 wickets in 5 matches at an average of 19.62- in Australia’s Ashes retaining campaign. But, no spell, in my opinion, comes close to his 4-43 in the fourth innings of the Old Trafford Test.

Cummins bowled a few corkers during that spell, but none could match the ripper that he bowled to the English captain Joe Root. It was perfect delivery for a right-arm seamer to right-handed batsmen; one that nipped away off the seam and hit the top of off-stumps past Root’s defenses. Cummins would notch up figures of 4-43 as Australia comfortably beat England by 185 runs to regain the Ashes.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-373767" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Neil-Wagner.jpg" alt="Neil Wagner" width="640" height="427" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-373767" class="wp-caption-text">Neil Wagner. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)</figcaption>

If BJ Watling is the New Zealand of New Zealand, wonder what attribute one should give the relentless Neil Wagner, who just keeps running-in day-in-and-day-out and gets the job done for his skipper, even as more celebrated fast bowlers around the world hog the limelight.

The left-hander, who is currently engrossed in a great battle with <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/getting-success-against-steven-smith-is-a-good-thing-but-he-will-bounce-back-stronger-new-zealand-coach-gary-stead/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Steven Smith</a> in the ongoing Trans-Tasman Test series, had another year of consistent performances built of relentlessness, hostility, love for the game and the desire to win Test matches for his country. In six Test matches this year, the southpaw claimed 40 wickets at an average of 17.90 and a strike-rate of 37.8 including four five-wicket-hauls.

Best Spell- His ongoing battle with Steven Smith- 3-74 at an average of 24.66

Steve Smith may be the run-machine but as Neil Wagner has shown throughout the series against Australia, if you have a sustained plan against the champion batsman, then its possible to get the better of Smith. Wagner has constantly ployed the short-pitch stuff against Steven Smith, and by god! Hasn’t it worked with disdain! The left-hander has now claimed Smith on all three occasions in the ongoing series, conceding just 74 runs in the process.

Ben Stokes played, probably, two of the greatest innings by an English batsman this calendar year.

Best Test XI of 2019

Ben Stokes played, probably, two of the greatest innings by an English batsman this calendar year. Marnus Labuschagne also performed on the big stage

Best Test XI of 2019

Ben Stokes played, probably, two of the greatest innings by an English batsman this calendar year.

4. Steve Smith