Virat Kohli to lead Cricket Australia's Test Team of 2016, R Ashwin also picked
Mumbai: While he was not picked in ICC Test Team of the Year 2016, the year continues to get better for Virat Kohli after he was picked in Test team of the year selected by the Cricket Australia (CA). The icing on the cake was that he was named skipper of the team which has two Australians, including Steve Smith, in the XI.
The International Cricket Council had omitted Kohli from the Test team while named Smith as the 12th man. CA’s team made as many as 6 changes in the side which was chosen by the cricket’s governing body.
Kohli, who is modern-day batting genius in the shorter formats of the game, did his reputation a world of good as a Test batsman as he amassed 1215 runs in 12 Tests. The Indian Test skipper scored four hundred, three of which were double hundreds, and averaged 75.93.
While the team has the likes of Azhar Ali, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Quinton de Kock and Ben Stokes to add weight to the batting line-up along side Kohli and Smith, the bowling is equally lethal with R Ashwin, Rangana Herath, Kagiso Rabada and Mitchell Starc.
Ashwin, who had a brilliant 2016 and recently won ICC Cricketer of the Year 2016 and ICC Test Cricketer of the Year, scalped 72 wickets and scored 612 runs with the bat. The Indian off-spinner was also the lone Indian in the ICC Test Team of 2016.
Cricket Australia Test Team of the Year 2016:
Azhar Ali (Pakistan), Joe Root (England), Steve Smith (Australia), Virat Kohli (India) (captain), Jonny Bairstow (England), Ben Stokes (England), Quinton de Kock (South Africa), R Ashwin (India), Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka), Kagiso Rabada (South Africa), Mitchell Starc (Australia).
