Indian Test captain Shubman Gill was also not included as a former Australian great picked the best of the young cricketers who could dominate Test cricket in the coming years. However, the batsman hailed Gill’s Indian teammate as the next big thing in Test cricket.
Test cricket has been promoted once again in the recent decade with the introduction of the ICC World Test Championship by the International Cricket Council. In an era when Test cricket is evolving from its conservative roots, many new-age cricketers have shown prominence in adopting the new norms of red-ball cricket.
Some of the most versatile batsmen of modern times who have made their way into Test cricket include Indian batsmen Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal; Englishmen Ben Duckett and Harry Brook; Rachin Ravindra of New Zealand; and Australia’s Travis Head.
Mark Waugh slams Shubman Gill, picks Indian teammate as the next big thing in Test cricket
Test cricket is no longer a test of patience and temperament. The aim of modern-day Test cricket is not to play for 5 days and show respect for all the good balls, but to focus on winning with calculated risks.
Speaking on Kayo Sports during the Ashes broadcast, the presenter asked former Australian batsman Mark Waugh for his opinion on the next best Test cricketer among the current stars.
Waugh immediately replied, “I think there are three in the race: Jaiswal, Brook and Ravindra from New Zealand. I would go with Jasiwal, 24, who has already scored a double century, averages under 50; there is something special about this kid.”
Waugh concluded, “That’s why I have him as the next champion batsman in elite cricket, Jaiswal. That’s why he’s my choice, Young India.”
Mark Waugh picks Yashasvi Jaiswal as the next best Test batsman. pic.twitter.com/2Aps0jSCLX
– Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) 7 January 2026
Michael Vaughan taps England roots to choose his next best Test batsman
However, England great Michael Vaughan has not moved away from his English roots like Mark Waugh. In his opinion, he saw Shubman Gill as a prospect with a bright career in red-ball cricket, but he considered Harry Brook to be the next big thing in this format.
The former English captain said, “I would put Shubman Gill in it, but Harry Brook is the next name we are going to talk about. We are already talking about it, whether it is the way he has played in this tour (Ashes 2025-26) or the number of runs he has scored. I hope for the next 10 years, we will see some of the most extraordinary innings.”
Vaughan concluded, “He has already shown that in white-ball cricket and red-ball cricket. He is an all-format player and he is a box office hit.”
Comparison of test statistics of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harry Brooks
Harry Brook, who has played 34 Test matches in his short career so far, has already joined the run book. He has scored 3052 runs in Test cricket and has a triple century to his name. His average is 54.50 with 10 centuries in his career so far.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is another young name in world cricket, having played 28 matches so far in his career. He has scored 2511 runs for India at an average of 49.23 and his highest score is 214*, that too against England. Jaiswal has 7 centuries to his name so far in his Test career.
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