2016 was a great year for Test Cricket, and it dished out many memorable performances by many players from across teams.
However, the year reiterated the point that Teams were much more dominant at home but were a no show when they travelled abroad.
India led the way by remaining an unbeatable unit right throughout the year. A young team was led brilliantly by Virat Kohli who himself was buoyed by the responsibility and churned out one match-defining innings after another.
South Africa put aside all their woes and hammered Australia in their own backyard to seal a memorable series win.
The successful teams identified the players and backed them to the hilt, and more often than not these players repaid the faith.
It was a great year for the batsmen as they took advantage of flat batting surfaces and amassed scores for fun.
Sportskeeda ran a poll in a bid to identify the best Test batsman and the results are a just reflection of the impact of these players on the game.
Read on to find out who made it into the Top 5 list.
The top five batsmen of the year were chosen for the polling. Responses came flooding in the 24-hour window on the Sportskeeda Facebook pages.
Different factors were catered for, and we combined the numbers from polling and the opinion of the in-house experts.
The final result came in and it reflected the current mood of the cricketing crowd.
#5 Jonny Bairstow
The England wicket-keeper batsman had a dream year and emerged as one of the leading wicket-keeper batsmen currently in Tests. The Yorkshire man was one of the most prolific run scorers for his team and churned out many match-winning performances.
Bairstow tweaked his technique and has a more pronounced backlift and this helped him immensely right throughout the year. He was prolific both against pace and spin and bailed out England from many tricky situations on many occasions. The biggest improvement in his game has been his defensive game, and this has helped him to soak up the pressure which then allows him to dictate terms as he gets used to the surface and conditions.
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | 50s | 100s | NOs |
| 17 | 29 | 1470 | 167* | 58.80 | 8 | 3 | 4 |
A big positive for England going into the new year, especially as Alastair Cook could well step down as the captain, and these young players would make the new leadership coterie.
#4 Quinton de Kock
2016 was year for the wicket-keepers, and the boys who donned the gloves were prolific run scorers for their team too. After Jonny Bairstow, South African wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock slots in at number 4.
The baby-faced South African took to Test cricket, and with his exuberance and panache, he became a match-winner for South Africa, more so with his late order batting. He put together a number of decisive partnerships with the lower order batsmen and this helped South Africa put a formidable score on the board.
His ability to take on the bowling attack coupled with amazing consistency has made him one the best players in the world in 2016. His string of scores at one point read: 82, 50, 84, 64, 104.
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | 50s | 100s | NOs |
| 7 | 11 | 589 | 129* | 65.44 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
These numbers and his approach to batting have prompted many to compare him to the former Australian great, Adam Gilchrist. A real find for South Africa.
#3 Cheteshwar Pujara
India’s number 3 had a year of two halves. There were no doubts over his ability but then he got into a rut during the tour to West Indies where he could not get going and appeared to stall the innings. Hence, he had to be dropped and this sparked a resurgence in the Saurashtra man.
He came storming back to form and hit his straps in the home season. He smashed 3 centuries in the 8 matches against New Zealand and England. Apart from the scores, what stood out was the tempo of his innings. He dominated the spinners and never allowed them to settle down. His defence was as tight as ever and thus he made the most of the home conditions and became an indispensable part of the Indian team.
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | 50s | 100s | NOs |
| 11 | 16 | 836 | 124 | 55.73 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
#2 Joe Root
The young Yorkshire man has emerged as the leading England batsmen across formats. He emerged as the leading run scorer in Tests in 2016, and even as th England team struggled in Tests, Root was the only consolidating factor throughout the year.
His game has evolved and looks in tune against both pace and spin. His ability to adjust his game according to the situation has always held him in good stead. His defence is watertight, but when the pressure is on, he has the ability to put his foot down and put all the pressure back on the bowlers.
Currently the vice-captain, Root is also earmarked to assume the mantle of the Test team, if and when Alastair Cook decides to call it a day.
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | 50s | 100s | NOs |
| 17 | 32 | 1477 | 254 | 49.23 | 10 | 3 | 2 |
#1 Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli was ruling white ball cricket before this year, and by the end of 2016, he established himself as one of best Test batsmen in the game. This year was a bumper one for the Indian Test captain, both as a skipper and as a batsman.
He is yet to lose a series as a full-time skipper, and this primarily due to the fact that Kohli the batsman has been prolific form right throughout the year. He scored 3 double centuries this year and always appeared to be in the zone.
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | 50s | 100s | NOs |
| 12 | 18 | 1215 | 235 | 75.93 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
Indian team is all set to rule the cricketing world and if the form of Virat Kohli remains consistent there is no reason why 2017 could not be another memorable year.
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