2019 in review: 3 players who announced their arrival in international cricket this year

As another year draws to a close, it is a good time to look back at everything that unfolded on the cricket field. In 2019, the year that saw one of the best ever World Cup finals, there were the usual suspects who were among the runs and wickets, and a few disappointments as well.

India were a dominant force across all formats while Australia made a comeback after a disastrous 2018. Apart from these two teams, England and New Zealand were the other successful sides in 2019.

Also see - IPL 2020Players List

Let us now look at three players who made a name for themselves in the year 2019, signaling the start of three great careers:

#1 Marnus Labuschagne (Australia)

Marnus Labuschagne

After the Ashes series was over in the month of September, if anyone would have said that Steve Smith would be outscored in Test cricket in 2019, people would have laughed at them. Smith was head and shoulders above any other batsman at that point, having scored his runs at a Bradman-esque average.

But fast forward to December 2019, and it is Smith's Australian teammate Marnus Labuschagne who is the leading run scorer in Test cricket at the moment. Labuschagne has accumulated 1,022 runs with a match to go, after incredible scores at home against Pakistan and New Zealand.

Ironically, Labuschagne was the first concussion substitute in the history of Test cricket, replacing Smith himself at Lord's. That happened during the second Ashes match, when the latter was struck by a nasty Jofra Archer bouncer.

Australia have been on the lookout for a quality No. 3 batsman in Test cricket ever since the retirement of the great Ricky Ponting, and it looks like they have finally found one in the form of Labuschagne.

One of the key batting positions in a Test lineup, a No. 3 batsman should be adaptable and mentally strong to be able to walk out for the second ball or wait for hours together. And Labuschagne has shown he has what it takes.

One of the key reasons for his success at Test level has been his technique; he knows where his off-stump is, and lets balls go at the start of his innings. The cricketing world is surely going to witness much more from the Australian over the next few years.

#2 Mayank Agarwal (India)

Mayank Agarwal

Mayank Agarwal is a classic example of a player coming through the system and carrying forward his domestic form to the international arena. The Karnataka batsman scored mountains of runs at the first class level, thereby barging through the doors of national selection.

Many cricketers dream about playing in a Boxing Day Test, which is one of the greatest events in the sporting calendar, and Agarwal got to make his debut there last year. He announced his arrival with a classy 76, and then went on to show the world that that wasn’t a flash in the pan with another half-century at Sydney.

The right-hander hasn’t looked back since. Agarwal is India’s No. 1 Test opener right now.

He enhanced his reputation with a maiden Test hundred against South Africa in October at home. A month later, he scored his maiden double ton against Bangladesh.

One of the reasons for India’s not so impressive performance abroad over the years has been the lack of quality openers, and they finally seem to have found the solution in Agarwal.

#3 Jofra Archer (England)

Jofra Archer

It’s always exciting to see a fast bowler running in and bowling at a good pace, irrespective of the format, unless you are the opposing batsman. One such find in international cricket this year has been England’s Jofra Archer.

Although England’s batting was their main strength at this year’s World Cup, the contribution from Archer cannot be in their successful campaign cannot be overlooked. He repeatedly made batsmen duck for cover, finishing with 20 wickets, and delivered an unforgettable Super Over in the final.

Archer was equally successful in red-ball cricket, showing signs that he can bowl long spells without cutting down on his speed. His battle with Steve Smith at Lord's during the Ashes series was one for the cricketing folklore.

Archer is only going to improve with experience, and that’s a scary sign for batsmen in the years to come. If he stays fit, he could be one of the bowlers dominating the next decade.