The maiden ICC World Test Championship commenced in August 2019. India finished on top of the table. They will take on New Zealand in the Finals from 18th June. Let us have a look at five batsmen who scored the most runs in the World Test Championship 2019-21.
5. Ajinkya Rahane – 1095 runs
Indian vice-captain in the Test format and a solid middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane is the leading run-scorer among Indian players in the WTC 2019-21. He was also the first Indian to cross the 1000-run barrier in the tournament. Rahane scored 1095 runs in 28 innings at an average of 43.80 which included three centuries and 6 fifties. A gritty 112 vs Australia at MCG under tough conditions is rated as one of the best of his career. He was the captain of the Indian team in the last three matches of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21, in which India won 2 historic matches.
4. Ben Stokes – 1334 runs
English All-rounder Ben Stokes made a great impact with the bat and ball in WTC. He has played some great innings in the league stage which includes a sensational knock of 135* against Australia at Headingley in the Ashes 2019. He pulled off one of the impossible chases in England’s history of test cricket. And with the ball he was phenomenal too, in one of the matches of league stage vs south Africa, Ben Stokes took the last three wickets and took England home to a thrilling victory by 189 runs late on day five, their first victory at Newlands since 1957. He scored 1334 runs in 32 innings at an average of 46. He smashed four centuries and 7 fifties during the phase. His highest score of 176 in WTC came against West Indies in 2020.
3. Steve Smith – 1341 runs
Steve Smith is the best Test batsman currently and has won Test cricketer of the decade award in ICC annual awards this year. After a one year ban, he made his comeback and announced himself in style scoring an extraordinary century vs England in Ashes 2019. In the league stage, he scored 1341 runs in 22 innings at an average of 63.85. He smashed four centuries and seven fifties during this period.
2. Joe Root – 1660 runs
English Test captain Joe Root stands at the second spot in the tally of leading run-scorers in the World Test Championship. He has scored 1660 runs at an average of 47.42 including three hundreds and eight fifties. He scored three back to back hundreds, two vs Sri Lanka and one vs India and showed why he is considered as one of the best players of spin. Root smashed two double centuries as well in WTC.
1. Marnus Labuschagne – 1675 runs
Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne was in enormous touch during the league stage of the World Test Championship. He had an astonishing test summer. Labuschagne is the leading run-scorer in the competition with 1675 runs from 23 innings at an amazing average of 72.82. He also smashed the most number of hundreds (5), and most fifties (9) in WTC. His highest score in the WTC is 215 runs vs New Zealand at Sydney.
