Virat Kohli only Indian to be included in Cricinfo’s Test team of 2018

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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Virat Kohli is the only Indian player to be drafted into ESPNCricinfo’s Test team for the 2018 season which also includes the likes of Jason Holder, Jos Buttler and Mohammad Abbas. Kane Williamson is elected as the captain of the team with Nathan Lyon also part of the chosen eleven players.

India ended the 2018 calendar year as the top-ranked Test team in the world and if things continue to be as they are they will hold onto that spot post the Australia tour as well. However, despite their dominance in the longest format of the game, only captain Virat Kohli has managed to make it to ESPNCricinfo’s Test team of the year.

The opener’s slots are occupied by Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne and New Zealand’s Tom Latham, who have been in terrific form for their respective teams throughout the past year. While Karunaratne averages 46.43, Latham boasts an impressive average of 59.81. At number three, they have gone with Kiwi captain Kane Williamson followed by Kohli at number four. Williamson, who’s scored 651 runs at 59.18, is chosen as the captain of the Test team ahead of his Indian counterpart.

Henry Nicholls, who has the best average of the entire lot at 73.11, is at number five followed by British wicket-keeper cum batsman - Jos Buttler at number six. The all-rounder slot is occupied by Windies’ captain - Jason Holder who scored 336 runs and picked up 33 wickets last year. The seventh and eighth spot are reserved for Windies’ Shannon Gabriel and top-ranked Test bowler - Kagiso Rabada of South Africa.

The last two slots in the team are occupied by Pakistan’s right arm pacer, Mohammad Abbas, and veteran Australian spinner Nathan Lyon who picked up a total of 49 wickets last year.

Final XI : Dimuth Karunaratne (SL), Tom Latham (NZ), Kane Williamson* (NZ), Virat Kohli (IND), Henry Nicholls (NZ), Jos Buttler (ENG), Jason Holder (WI), Shannon Gabriel (WI), Kagiso Rabada (SA), Mohammad Abbas (PAK) and Nathan Lyon (AUS).

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