In the final 2025 wrap, Cricket Australia has revealed its best Test XI for the year 2025, and it is a fair group of players based on their recent exploits in red-ball cricket. He has also backed a non-Australian captain for commendable growth in Test cricket in 2025.
2025 was one of the most exciting years in terms of Test cricket. The year concluded with several memorable performances and the setting of new individual and team records. Undoubtedly, South Africa and Australia were the two brilliant teams of the year who achieved rare achievements.
South Africa whitewashed India on home soil, while the Australians have been virtually unbeaten this year and lost only 2 of their 11 Tests, including the WTC 2025 final. He created a new record by bowling out West Indies for 27 runs in an innings at home.
England and India, two other red-ball giants in recent times, started the WTC in some style. The two teams played the most intense and competitive series of the northern summer; However, both of these teams ended the year extremely poorly, with England losing the Ashes and India being eliminated at home.
Indians and Australians tie for starting spot in Cricket Australia’s Test XI
India’s leading Test opener KL Rahul has had one of the best years of his Test career. Reviving his Test career ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2024-25, KL Rahul became a regular in the Test team following the retirement of former captain Rohit Sharma.
No foreign opener in England has performed as well as the Indian batsman. In 5 matches, Rahul scored 532 runs with two centuries and as many half-centuries. Although he failed to continue this streak against South Africa, it would go down as one of his finest years in Test cricket. He scored 813 runs in 10 matches at an average of 45.16.
Australian explosive batsman Travis Head joins KL Rahul at the top of the order. However, Head was not introduced as an opening batsman in the Australian team. When Usman Khawaja was injured, Head was promoted to open the innings, which looked like a breakthrough for the batsman.
He broke the shackles, scoring two centuries during the Ashes, first in Perth and then in his hometown Adelaide, and finished the year as India’s second-highest run-scorer behind Shubman Gill. Although Head scored a brilliant 170+ in Adelaide, his 123 in the second innings of the Ashes opener remains his most thrilling heist.
WTC winning captain chose to strengthen the middle order
Cricket Australia has indeed shown the courage to name one of the best overseas captains for 2025. He has sidelined Australian captain Pat Cummins, who has not played in most of the games played by the Australian team in recent times.
Although Temba Bavuma has also not been playing in every South African match, he has still led the Proteas to victory in every match he has played. Had he not scored 66 against Australia despite a hamstring injury, the Proteas would have missed out on winning their first ICC title on another occasion.
Bavuma also showed some dominance with the bat, scoring a highest score of 106 in 4 matches at an average of 51.66.
Not Rishabh Pant; Cricket Australia has included this wicketkeeper in its best eleven.
However, Cricket Australia has chosen Alex Carey as its wicketkeeper. In one of the finest years for a South Australian gloveman, Carey scored 767 runs in the lower order at an average of 47.93 with two Test centuries.
Even behind the wicket, it was impossible to ignore Carey’s expertise. In 11 matches, he completed 44 catches and also made 5 stumpings, and was effective in dismissing several Australian players during the Ashes. Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who had a stellar performance in England, was found inconsistent against South Africa.
Ben Stokes included in Cricket Australia’s eleven
Experienced Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja gave his best performance with the bat. Playing in England, the batsman was India’s second highest scorer and ended the year with 764 runs with the bat.
He was one of the few batsmen to show resistance against the South African bowling attack in Guwahati. However, Jadeja was less effective with the ball, as his 25 wickets came at an average of 38.2, his worst average since 2014. He was named as the 12th player.
England captain Ben Stokes was selected as the only all-rounder in the team. Stokes, who returned to bowling after several years in red-ball cricket, enjoyed his performances with the ball in England as well as the Australian summer. With 496 runs and 33 wickets in 9 matches, Stokes can also be called the best all-rounder of 2025.
Mitchell Starc and Jasprit Bumrah are included in Cricket Australia’s eleven.
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc and Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah are the two most common names in the best Test XI of modern times. Both the national giants have often produced some astonishing numbers. Starc topped the list this time with 55 wickets in 11 matches and was Australia’s savior in the Ashes in the absence of captain Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
On the other hand, Bumrah had a very poor season compared to his extraordinary performance in 2024, where he took 71 wickets in the calendar year. Yet his exploits in England and at home have impressed everyone. The two new players include Australia’s Scott Boland and Protea spinner Simon Harmer.
Harmer had a memorable series in the subcontinent against Pakistan and India, as he took 30 wickets in 4 matches. On the other hand, Scott Boland emerged as a big force for Australia in the absence of their experienced fast bowler Josh Hazlewood.
Cricket Australia’s best Test XI of 2025: KL Rahul, Travis Head, Joe Root, Shubman Gill, Temba Bavuma (captain), Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes, Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah, Scott Boland, Simon Harmer, Ravindra Jadeja (12th man).
Also read: No provision for dismissal? Gautam Gambhir remains untouched as India’s head coach till 2027 World Cup