Best Test playing XI from 2022

It was quite a year for men's Test cricket in 2022. While the majority of the calendar year went into teams preparing for the T20 World Cup, the men's cricketing calendar had its fair share of Test cricket.

There was a lot of action as well. From South Africa bouncing back to beating India 2-1 to losing their way in Australia, from England 'Bazballing' their way to Test cricket resurrection, and Australia and England securing historic series wins in Pakistan. 2022 saw a lot of events unfold in the longest format.

There were standout performers aplenty as well and it is hard to prune it down to a balanced playing XI. We will take a shot at the same below:

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Openers - Usman Khawaja (Australia) and Kraigg Brathwaite (West Indies)

It's hard to look beyond Usman Khawaja and Kraigg Brathwaite for the team's opening combination. Not only do both have a penchant for spending a lot of time in the middle, but they also have a knack for scoring big runs.

Khawaja started 2022 with twin tons in the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney and has not looked back since. He bagged the Player of the Series award as Australia won a historic series in Pakistan. The southpaw finished the year with 1080 Test runs at an average of 67.50.

West Indian skipper Brathwaite was as dogged as ever and looked the part at home against England. He then scored 64 and 110 on a bouncy Perth pitch against Australia and ended the year with 687 runs in seven games at an average of 62.45.

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Middle order - Joe Root (England), Babar Azam (Pakistan), and Jonny Bairstow (England)

Joe Root may not have piled up the runs in Pakistan, but he had another fine year otherwise. Despite losing as captain against the West Indies, he struck two centuries in the Caribbean before unshackling himself upon relinquishing the captaincy. Two stellar hundreds in big chases against New Zealand and India followed at home as he piled up 1098 runs at an average of 45.75.

Marnus Labuschagne was a close contender, but having scored just 170 runs in five innings on lifeless decks in Pakistan, he has been pipped out.

He might have had a tough time as captain but the runs kept flowing off Babar Azam's blade in 2022. The Pakistan skipper topped the charts in Tests for the calendar year with 1184 runs at 69.64.

A majestic 196 in Karachi on the last day of the second Test against Australia and a stunning 119 on a turner in Galle, where he bailed his team out of a perilous situation, headlined a stupendous year with the bat for Babar.

With 1061 runs in 10 games at an average of 66.31 and six centuries to boot, Jonny Bairstow was the flagbearer of England's 'Bazball' approach. He could have scored more had he not hurt himself in a freakish manner on a golf course that ended his 2022 season prematurely.

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All-rounder and wicketkeeper - Ben Stokes (England) [c] and Rishabh Pant (India) [wk]

It wasn't the best year for all-rounders but Ben Stokes made the cut at No. 6. Not only was he instrumental in breaking games open with the ball, but he also scored 870 runs with the bat. An average of 36.25 is middling, but he bats with a high-risk approach.

He led admirably well, overseeing nine wins in 10 Tests and being the captain of the side. With the ball, he picked up 26 wickets at 31.19 apiece, striking once every 64.2 deliveries.

The sole Indian in the team, Rishabh Pant, has made it a habit to rescue his team out of trouble in Test cricket. With 680 runs at 61.81 across varied conditions, from seaming tracks to spinning decks and a couple of stellar hundreds, he walks in as the side's wicketkeeper.

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Bowlers - Marco Jansen (South Africa), Pat Cummins (Australia) [vc], Nathan Lyon (Australia) and James Anderson (England)

It's hard not to pick South African speedster Kagiso Rabada, who tops the wicket-taking charts with 47 scalps at an average of 22.25 and a strike rate of 34.1. But he endured expensive outings in Manchester, The Oval, and Melbourne, reflecting a high economy rate of 3.90, apart from the tendency to overstep far too often.

He has been pipped to the XI by fellow teammate Marco Jansen, who also lends left-arm variety to the team. The lanky seamer snared 36 wickets in eight Tests in 2022 at an average of 19.02 and a strike rate of 35.8. Partnering him in the pace department is the senior duo of Pat Cummins and James Anderson.

The Australian skipper toiled away on benign surfaces in Pakistan and looked the part there. The same holds true for Anderson and the duo have proven themselves across varying conditions throughout 2022. Both bagged 36 wickets apiece, with Cummins averaging 21.83 at a strike rate of 49.3 and Anderson taking one match fewer to do so at an average and strike rate of 19.80 and 48.9, respectively.

The sole spinner in this XI, Nathan Lyon, toiled away without much help in Pakistan although he was at his best at home and in Sri Lanka. He ends 2022 as the joint-highest wicket-taker in Tests with 47 scalps at an average of 29.06 and a strike rate of 63.9.

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Honorable mentions for the best Test XI of 2022:

Marnus Labuschagne - 957 runs at 56.29, 1 fifty, four hundreds

Kagiso Rabada - 47 wickets at 22.25, strike rate of 34.1

Abdullah Shafique - 823 runs at 51.43, 2 fifties, three hundreds

Tom Blundell - 644 runs at 58.54, 5 fifties and one hundred

Ollie Robinson - 23 wickets in 6 matches at 18.17, strike rate of 40.2

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Best Test XI of 2022: Usman Khawaja, Kraigg Brathwaite, Joe Root, Babar Azam, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Marco Jansen, Pat Cummins (vc), Nathan Lyon, James Anderson

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Who else do you think should have made the Test XI of 2022? Let us know in the comments section below!

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