IND vs NZ final: Top five Indian batsmen in ICC World Test Championship

During the ICC World Test Championship cycle (2019-2021), Ajinkya Rahane has been India's leading run-scorer, followed by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

Topics
India vs New Zealand | India New Zealand Cricket | ICC World Test Championship

BS Web Team  |  New Delhi 

Ajinkya Rahane celebrates after hitting a ton against Australia in boxing day Test. Photo: @BCCI
Ajinkya Rahane celebrates after hitting a ton against Australia in boxing day Test. File Photo: @BCCI

Virat Kohli will lead the Indian cricket team in the maiden ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, which will begin on June 18 at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton, against New Zealand. After defeating two of the finest Test-playing teams, Australia and England, in a bilateral series, India qualified for the WTC final.

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The cricketing calendar got disturbed due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic last year, thus ICC cricket committee changed points system of WTC, making percentage points as the criteria for qualification. India remained at the top of the points table with 12 wins in 17 games while New Zealand came second with 7 wins in 11 matches.

The Indian cricket team would struggle to adapt to the English conditions, whereas New Zealand will view the WTC final as their best chance to win an ICC title as it will square off with England in a two-match Test series before facing India in the WTC final.

India's top batsmen in ICC WTC

The onus will be on India's star-studded batting line-up, which includes Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane, to give the team its best shot at winning the inaugural World Test Championship.

Rohit began opening during a bilateral series against South Africa in India, when he scored two double hundreds and established his dominance as an opener in Test cricket. The Mumbaikar was given numerous chances in the middle order, but he failed to cement his spot before team management asked him to open the batting. In the WTC cycle, Rohit Sharma has amassed 1,030 runs in 17 innings, averaging 64.37, with four hundred and two fifties.

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Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has most runs in WTC for India as he scored 1,095 runs in 28 innings at an average of 43.8, including three centuries and six fifties. Rahane has been a trusted assistant to India’s charismatic captain Kohli and as a stand-in skipper, he led India to a dramatic 2-1 series win in Down Under after India was bundled out for a mere 36 in the first Test at Adelaide.


Here is the list of the top five Indian batsmen during the WTC cycle (2019-2021):

Player Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 0 4s 6s
Ajinkya Rahane 17 28 3 1095 115 43.8 2317 47.25 3 6 2 125 6
Rohit Sharma 11 17 1 1030 212 64.37 1597 64.49 4 2 0 123 27
Virat Kohli 14 22 2 877 254* 43.85 1563 56.11 2 5 4 108 3
Mayank Agarwal 12 20 0 857 243 42.85 1556 55.07 3 2 1 104 18
Chesteshwar Pujara 17 28 0 818 81 29.21 2222 36.81 0 9 3 98 3

Top 10 batsmen in WTC 2019-21:

Player Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 0 4s 6s
Marnus Labuschagne (AUS) 13 23 0 1675 215 72.82 2999 55.85 5 9 0 186 3
Joe Root (ENG) 20 37 2 1660 228 47.42 3037 54.65 3 8 3 168 5
Smith Smith (AUS) 13 22 1 1341 211 63.85 2509 53.44 4 7 1 151 7
Ben Stokes (ENG) 17 32 3 1334 176 46 2308 57.79 4 6 1 142 31
Ajinkya Rahane (INDIA) 17 28 3 1095 115 43.8 2317 47.25 3 6 2 125 6
Rohit Sharma (INDIA) 11 17 1 1030 212 64.37 1597 64.49 4 2 0 123 27
Dimuth Karunaratne (SL) 10 18 0 999 244 55.5 1873 53.33 4 4 0 115 2
Jos Buttler (ENG) 18 31 2 963 152 33.2 1821 52.88 1 4 1 108 14
David Warner (AUS) 12 22 2 948 335* 47.4 1519 62.4 3 1 3 94 1
Babar Azam (PAK) 10 17 3 932 143 66.57 1453 64.14 4 5 0 114 3
Virat Kohli (INDIA) 14 22 2 877 254* 43.85 1563 56.11 2 5 4 108 3
Mayank Agarwal (INDIA) 12 20 0 857 243 42.85 1556 55.07 3 2 1 104 18
Dean Elgar (SA) 11 21 2 848 160 44.63 1454 58.32 2 3 2 128 4
Dominic Sibley (ENG) 16 28 2 844 133* 32.46 2337 36.11 2 4 4 95 1
Cheteshwar Pujara (INDIA) 17 28 0 818 81 29.21 2222 36.81 0 9 3 98 3

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First Published: Wed, June 16 2021. 17:48 IST