The 2024 calendar year is coming to a close, and it has been a great year for Test Cricket, especially with teams battling it out to play the final of the World Test Championship 2025. Now, with only one India vs Australia match left before the year to end, we look at the best playing XI for the entire 2024 calendar year, featuring the best performers with both bat and ball. Five Indians make the list, with a surprising name as captain of the team.

Yashasvi Jaiswal has been the breakout star of 2024. He is the second-highest Test run-getter of 2024, with 1312 runs, including 3 hundreds and 7 fifties. These also include two double centuries. In fact, Jaiswal smashed the record of being the player with the number of sixes in a calendar year in Test matches (35). England's Ben Duckett will be Jaiswal's opening partner, as he is the third-highest run-getter of 2024 with 1149 runs. The two will form an explosive opening duo

Joe Root will come in to bat at no.3. He has been the best batter of 2024 by a mile, amassing 1556 runs, including six centuries and five fifties. Harry Brook had a phenomenal year as well, with 1107 runs, including the only triple century of 2024. He will follow Root at 4. Kamindu Mendis of Sri Lanka, too, had a phenomenal breakout year, scoring 1049 runs in 9 matches at an average of 74.92.

Travis Head will come into bat at no.6. He might have scored just 607 runs, but his impact in the lower order with a strike rate of over 86 proves that he was a major asset for Australia as they stand top in the WTC points table.

The Indian spin-bowling all-rounder duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will be the two all-rounders in the side. Jadeja has scored 508 runs, including 1 century and three fifties, in addition to taking 44 wickets. Ravichandran Ashwin has taken 47 wickets n 2024, and scored 310 runs with the bat. Ashwin recently retired from all forms of international cricket.

Jasprit Bumrah will not only lead the bowling attack but will also captain the side. He has taken 62 wickets in 2024 and is the leading-wicket taker in Tests this year. He will be partnered in the pace bowling department by England's Gus Atkinson and New Zealand's Matt Henry who have taken 52 and 49 wickets respectively

Best Test Match Playing XI For 2024: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ben Duckett (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Kamindu Mendis, Travis Head, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Gus Atkinson, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Matt Henry

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