WTC is also known as World Test Championship. It is a new tournament organized by ICC. Its motive is to regain the popularity of the test format and make it lively again. All test-playing nations participate, and the best, according to the standing pool table, face each other in finals. Matches comprise home and away matches for all teams. New Zealand is the first WTC winner; the second season will be held in June 2023. India has managed to qualify for both the season. This article will discuss the 2021-2023 cycle of WTC.
1. Tom Latham
New Zealand’s Tom Latham holds the record of highest individual score in WTC. He scored 252 runs against Bangladesh in 2022. Kane Williamson is second on the list in terms of high score in WTC. The right-handed batsman scored 215 runs against Sri Lanka in 2023.Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Chandimal takes the number three spot for his unbeaten 206 against Australia in 2022. Following is the list of batters with highest individual scores in ICC World Test Championships.
2. Kane Williamson
Kane is one of the best batsmen from New Zealand if we consider the test format. He is the most calm and composed player of the best four players in cricket. Kane is an excellent leader who won the inaugural WTC for his nation in 2021. He is also the bowler’s captain and set according to their comfort. He also knows how to bat against spin and pace in different conditions. Be it Asian, be it Australian, he has succeeded everywhere overseas. He then took a call for giving up the captaincy of the New Zealand Cricket team.
3. Dinesh Chandimal
Dinesh is the skipper of the Lankan side in this WTC cycle of 2021-2023. Under him, the team lived up to some reputation and played well in this format. They were in the contentions of the finals of WTC. They were unbeaten on their home soil. Under his captaincy, they gave a tough fight to New Zealand and almost sealed the match for their country. Apart from team performance, he was good with the bat too.
4. Marnus Labuschagne
He is primarily a batsman but he often part-time bowls. He debuted against England in the test. He faced a deadly bouncer on his debut ball. But he batted and played well in upcoming times. He and Smith have stitched so many crucial partnerships. He has scored centuries during this cycle. Marnus is a good player against spin and can be helpful against India in the finals.
5. Steve Smith
Steve Smith is a legend in the test format. He is another player from Australia. Smith is a good middle-order batsman. Although he was out of action for a year for suspension he made a great comeback to cricket. He is an okayish player in the limited-over format, but his skills upgrade when he plays the test format. He is a great leader apart from it. For the finals of WTC, he is an excellent player for the Aussies as he knows the Indian line very well, and his performance will decide Australia’s efforts to win the cup.
6. Kane Williamson
Kane is one of the best batsmen from New Zealand if we consider the test format. He is the most calm and composed player of the best four players in cricket. Kane is an excellent leader who won the inaugural WTC for his nation in 2021. He is also the bowler’s captain and set according to their comfort. He also knows how to bat against spin and pace in different conditions. Be it Asian, be it Australian, he has succeeded everywhere overseas. He then took a call for giving up the captaincy of the New Zealand Cricket team.
7. Henry Nicholas
Henry was born in Christchurch, and later on, he represented his nation New Zealand in cricket. He plays as a top-order batsman in the playing eleven. Nicholas plays two formats for the Kiwi which include Test and one day. He has played 58 test matches in which he averaged 38.
8. David Warner
David Warner is the regular opener of Aussies in recent times. He has been contributing to the team for many years. In this WTC, he has been a dependable player for giving a good start to the team. Although he is not in his prime form. Rumors stated that he might take retirement after WTC final against India. If he continues to play, his next big campaign is Ashes.
9. Babar Azam
Babar is the all-format skipper of the Pakistan cricket team. He is a young guy who has done wonders for his nation. Babar became a skipper early and won against teams like Australia and India. He even leads his team to Asia Cup final and the t20 world cup knockout stages. His achievements at an early age give a glimpse of Virat Kohli, and often cricket experts compare him with this legend. Babar is yet to perform and shine in difficult swinging pitches of England and Australia. He scored many runs only on his home soil.
10. Usman Khawaja
Usman is our next player of discussion. He belongs to the Australian cricket team and is a left-handed opener in the playing eleven. Usman even batted in the middle order as per requirement. Since the last matches, he was the partner of David or Travis while opening. Usman is one of the batsmen who play spin well. He is well acquainted with the Asian condition and had scored well against teams like India. Usman will be playing against India again during the WTC final.
