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 tournament's 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. Joe Root
Joe Root is the first player on our list. He is a former English skipper and had a golden time with the bat during this cycle. He scored around eight centuries in this period. That includes double a hundred too. He batted at a good average and scored runs in almost all matches. Before WTC’s 2nd cycle, he quit test captaincy and focused only on his batting. He primarily batted at the third position in the batting order.
2. 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.
3. Marnus Labuschagne
Marnus is another Australian batsman on our list. He often plays in the fourth position in the batting order. He is primarily a batsman but he often part-time bowls. He debuted against England in the test. He was welcomed by a deadly bouncer. But he batted and played well in upcoming times. He along with Smith has stitched so many crucial partnerships. He has scored centuries even during this cycle. He is a good player against spin and can be tactful against India in the finals.
4. Alex Carey
The list of most dismissals starts from the cricketing nation Australia. He is an all-format player. This cycle of WTC has been a memorable one for this player. He took the most number of catches and stumpings during this cycle. He has played consistently for the Aussies. He even scored some great knocks in the middle overs for the team. He has played 19 matches.
5. Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes is one of the finest all-rounders in the current lot. He is an asset to whichever team he plays. Ben is a batting all-rounder. Currently, he refrains from bowling and does batting only. Ben has the potential to lead a team, and this was evident from the move by ECB to make him captain in the matches against associate nations. He sustained an injury while playing IPL, but now he is fit and recently participated in a test match against Ireland.
6. Travis Head
Travis Head is another Australian player on the list. He is known for his quick cameos and aggressive starts in an inning. He played in different positions for his national side. He is a three-format player and has also left his impression in the longer format as well. He is another to-look player in the finals of WTC where he will play a crucial role if included in the playing eleven.
7. Usman Khawaja
Usman is our next player of discussion. He belongs to the Australian cricket team and plays as a left-handed opener in the playing eleven. He even batted in the middle order as per requirement. Since the last matches, he was the partner of David or Travis while opening. He 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. He will be playing against India again during the WTC final.
8. Virat Kohli
Virat is a well-known sports personality across all sports. He is a test-proper batsman. He gets praised for the betterment of test cricket in recent years. Under his playing, that team India achieved a lot in his format. Apart from captaincy, he also made individual records that are not easily breakable. Virat is an aggressive player on the field and pays back every time on the ground against any opponents. He sets aggressive fielding and is considered to be a bowler’s captain. Virat will be again an essential player in the WTC finals against mighty Aussies. He has played 16 matches.
9. Cheteshwar Pujara
This calm personality has been the wall of the Indian batting lineup in the current years. Pujara has been playing red-ball cricket for a long time and has been one of the essential players in the number three position. He had made runs overseas too. Pujara anchors the innings well and has excellent defensive skills. He often irritates the opponent bowlers by keeping the wicket for a long time. It does not matter even if he receives blows or nasty bouncers, he will keep standing save the match. He has made 16 appearances.
10. Jonny Bairstow
Jonny Bairstow is another English player on our list. He has been a regular opener for his side for a few matches. Otherwise, Jonny plays in the middle order. Apart from Jos, he also keeps wickets and is good at keeping them. Jonny can switch his mode from defensive to aggressive whenever it is required. Hence, he is a versatile player. This player plays all formats. He is good on his home soil mainly.
