5 Batsmen who are likely to reach new heights in 2019

2018 was a great year for fans with some brilliant performances by batsmen lighting up the arena of international cricket. Among the batsmen, Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson continued to prove their greatness while Joe Root was eventually able to get over his inability to convert the 50s into hundreds and play, arguably, the best innings of his career. However, Steve Smith’s ignominious act deprived him the opportunity to match the success of his three competitors.

Apart from the big-4, there were other monumental efforts as well: Cook’s magnificent farewell, Pujara’s defiance, AB de Villiers’ last hurrah in international cricket being the highlights.

So, what can we expect from batsmen in the new year? Which men are likely to take the lead in run-scoring?

With so many good players around and so much cricket to be played, it is hard to say with certainty. But, going by their performances this year and the stage of career they are in, we can draw a list of 5 batsmen who are most likely to plunder runs in international cricket in 2019. Let us look at those five batsmen.

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#1 Shai Hope

Shai Hope seems to be finding his stride in international cricket

West Indian cricket, in recent years, has had more than its fair share of wasted talent – players who were brimming with ability but not able to transform it into consistent performances. When Shai Hope scored hundreds in each innings of the Headingley Test in August 2017 and led his team to a historic win, most people saw it as the beginning of a great career.

However, Shai failed to live up to the hope he aroused in the remainder of 2017 and the better part of 2018. It is hard to say what was holding him back. Every time he came to the crease, he gave the impression of being completely at ease. But somehow, he couldn’t convert good starts into big scores.

Was it the pressure of expectations, load of responsibility or lack of concentration that made him unsuccessful? We probably won’t know. But things turned around for Hope in the ODI format towards the end of the year in 2018.

In the 5-match series in India, he scored a brilliant hundred and came close to scoring another one. In Bangladesh, after missing out on a big score in the first game, he registered brilliant back-to-back centuries to suggest that things are finally falling in place.

If Hope has finally found his groove, there is a lot we can expect from him. With the large amount of talent at his disposal, he could well turn 2019 into the year where he breaks through as a top batsman in both Test and ODI cricket.

#2 Babar Azam

Babar Azam finally scored his maiden Test hundred in 2018

Just a brief look at the kind of shots Babar Azam plays is enough to convince anyone that this young right-hander from Pakistan possesses massive talent. The fact that he has many hundreds in ODI cricket already shows that he also has a great appetite.

Things weren’t equally smooth for Azam in Test cricket. He did play the odd good innings but the consistency he showed in ODIs wasn’t replicated in the longest format. But in 2018, the right-hander finally registered his maiden Test hundred.

Following it, he played a couple of impressive innings in South Africa that were of the highest quality. While the rest of the batting line-up crumbled in conditions that favored the seamers, Azam battled hard and defied the potent Proteas attack with solid technique and masterful stroke-play.

All this suggests that in the Tests too, Azam is finding the recipe for success. Keeping in mind the enormous talent he possesses and his prolificity in ODIs so far, he is a top contender for emerging as one of the leading batsmen in 2019.

#3 Steve Smith

Steve Smith would be looking to make up for lost time in 2019

Before the tour of South Africa in 2018, Smith was regarded by most fans and experts as the best Test batsmen in the world. After the sandpaper gate incident, Smith was forced to undergo a penance of one year.

In 2019, when Smith comes back into the international arena, all eyes would be on him to see whether he can recover his earlier fecundity of runs. From what we know of Smith and his dedication to the game, he would be chomping at the bits to get back to the crease and restart his run-making spree.

An experience like the one which Smith has gone through is bound to take a great psychological toll. However, Smith has been described by those close to him as a man who lives and breathes cricket. He is also mentally tough and likely to come out stronger from his exile rather than shaken.

Having sat on the sidelines and watched his team struggle as well as witnessing his rivals like Kohli, Williamson, etc. make merry would motivate him further.

When we combine the proven ability of Smith, his mental strength and the increased motivation in him, we have a recipe for major success. Hence, bowlers need to beware of Smith when he comes back into the Test team.

#4 Joe Root

Joe Root finally managed to end the century drought in the second half of 2018

The English captain Joe Root is often categorized along with Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and Steve Smith as the four best batsmen of the current generation. However, Root, in terms of stats has been falling behind these three contemporaries of his.

This can partly be attributed to him playing most of his cricket in difficult batting conditions of England but an equally big reason has been his inability to turn half-centuries into hundreds. As a result, he has been left some distance behind by the likes of Kohli and Smith in terms of Test tons.

But in the second half of 2018, Root broke his century drought with a hundred against India in the final Test of the English summer and then played what many experts described as the best innings of his career in Sri Lanka.

Now that the mental block that seemed to prevent him from getting centuries is out of the way, the route may be clear for Root to open the floodgates of his scoring prowess. If he gets a better conversion rate for himself, the sky is the limit for the English Test captain.

With a series in West Indies to be played at the start of the year and the big Ashes contest scheduled later, this could well be the year when Root not only catches up with his main rivals but also leaves them behind.

#5 Sam Curran

Sam Curran's batting left everyone impressed

Sam Curran came into the English side as a very useful left-arm medium pacer. However, even in his debut series against Pakistan, he showed glimpses of batting talent that led some experts to see a future all-rounder in him.

It was the series against India where his batting talent came into full view. He played crucial knocks in difficult conditions and always eschewed the technique and temperament of a proper batsman, not a tail-ender.

What was most noticeable in his batting was the fact that he seemed equally proficient against both pace and spin bowling. Against Sri Lanka in the away series, he again produced the goods including an innings where his six-hitting ability against the slower bowlers left everyone amazed.

With the solid technique and mental strength that he possesses, most experts have declared him good enough to be a top-class all-rounder. Interestingly though, it is his bowling and not batting that may turn out to be the weak point in his profile.

But with so much batting talent at his disposal, he may well turn into a proper batsman and provide the solidity England require in their middle order. 2019 could well see Curran leaving behind the tag of a bowling all-rounder and become a top batsman.