The second edition (2021–2023) of the Test Championship started on August 4, 2021, and the final match is likely to be held on March 31, 2023. According to the schedule, 138 matches will be played between the nine participating teams in the ICC Test Championship 2023. Half of the tournament is already over, with 68 matches completed and 70 more to go. On this occasion, the ICC revealed the best all-round performances so far in this two-year-long tournament. Let’s take a look at who made the cut in the top five all-rounders list.
Top five all-round performances in the ICC Test Championship 2023
The jury board had to go through a detailed analysis to identify the best performances in the all-round category. Because there were a number of brilliant performances and picking the best five is always a challenging task. Here are the best all-round performances picked by the ICC.
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Ravindra Jadeja vs Sri Lanka (First Test, 4-6 March 2022)
In the opening match of the two-match series in Mohali in March of this year, India's all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was ruthless against Sri Lanka. His all-round display helped India dominate the Lankan side all through the match. Jadeja made 175 runs after coming into bat at No. 7 and carried the first innings total to 574.
In reply, Sri Lanka were bowled out for only 174, in which Jadeja bagged a fifer. This time, India forced Sri Lanka to follow on, and this time they made 178. Once again, Jadeja was the main strike bowler for the Indian side and picked up 4 wickets. Overall, Ravindra Jadeja finished the match with 175 runs and a 9/87 bowling figure. India went on to win the contest by an innings and 222 runs.
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Matt Henry vs South Africa (First Test, 17-19 February 2022)
New Zealand’s pace-bowling all-rounder Matt Henry produced a magical performance against South Africa in the first Test of their 2-match series in Christchurch. His 7-wicket haul in the first innings bowled South Africa out for only 95 runs. In reply, New Zealand made 482, in which Matt Henry played an important 58*-run knock.
The defeat was imminent for the Proteas side after a horrible first innings performance. They were bowled out for 111 in the second innings and lost the contest by an innings score of 276 runs. The sensational Matt Henry picked up 9 wickets apart from scoring a half-century in the match.
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Shardul Thakur vs England (Fourth Test, 2-6 September 2021)
Shardul Thakur played an important role in India’s 157-run win over England in the fourth Test at the Oval, London. Shardul played a blazing 57-ball knock in the first innings and helped India get past the 150-run barrier. He also made an important 60 runs in the second innings, which helped India set a big target. Apart from scoring runs with the bat, Thakur also bagged 1 wicket in the first innings and 2 wickets in the second innings.
Keshav Maharaj vs Bangladesh (2-match series, 2022)
Spin bowling all-rounder Keshav Maharaj was outstanding against Bangladesh in the recently concluded 2-match Test series. He bagged 16 wickets at an average of 12.12 and made 108 runs with the bat. Maharaj’s best bowling figure in the series was 7/32, and he played an important 84-run knock in the first innings of the second Test. He was the most vital player in South Africa’s 2-0 clean sweep over Bangladesh.
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Mominul Haque vs New Zealand (First Test, 1-5 January 2022)
Captain Mominul Haque played an important role in Bangladesh’s historic Test match win over New Zealand at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui in January this year. Mominul made 88 runs in Bangladesh’s 458 runs first innings total. He also picked up two crucial wickets in the contest. Mominul removed two of the top scorers from New Zealand's first innings. Bangladesh eventually clinched the match by 8 wickets, where Mominul’s contribution was very much noticeable.
Bottom Line
The ICC recognized that the above-mentioned individual all-round performances were truly special. Most importantly, in all cases, the performances helped their respective sides to snatch a victory. As the tournament is heading towards an important stage, there is an expectation that more brilliant all-round displays will be witnessed in the remaining fixtures of the ICC Test Championship 2023.
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