The second edition of the Word Test Championship (WTC) is coming to an end as India and Australia will face each other in the final game at the Oval. In 2021, the cycle of the 2nd edition of WTC began and witnessed some thrilling moments over the course of action.
All the teams went through some major changes to make sure that they finish the competition at the top. We witnessed some disciplined, rigid, aggressive and talented players who showcased their talent and became crucial contributors to their respective teams. The top bookmakers have odds related to this match with them.
Teams like India and England witnessed some big changes in their management and leadership. Australia is also coming with some new faces in the team. However, two of the best teams have made it to the final game.
In this article, we have compiled a list of 5 best batting performances in the WTC 2021-23 cycle.
1) Joe Root
The former English skipper was in the news for all the wrong reasons but in the second half of the WTC cycle, Root turned out to be an asset for England and stunned everyone with his brilliant performance.
Once the pressure of leading the team was gone from his shoulders, Root ended the WTC cycle as the highest run-getter with 1915 runs and he scored 8 centuries and 6 fifties.
Brendon McCullum got the best out of the former skipper and helped to revive his career in the Test format. The primary reason for his brilliance in batting was his aggressive approach against the opposition.
2) Usman Khawaja
After two years of absence from international cricket, Usman Khawaja made a brilliant comeback with his commendable performance in the new WTC Cycle.
He displayed a dominating performance against Pakistan and South Africa and reached his careerβs best numbers. Khawaja scored 195 while facing South Africa and scored 333 runs while playing against India which includes a century.
Overall in 16 Test games, Usman scored 1608 runs in just 16 matches at an average of 69.91. His innings included 6 centuries and seven half-centuries.
3) Babar Azam
Babar Azam has come out as the new generation of Pakistanβs cricket. During the 2021-23 cycle of WTC, Babar Azam started well, witnessed a dip in his performance, and stunned everyone with his comeback.
Babar has set the standards high for his team and the upcoming generation of cricketers in Pakistan. Overall, Babar scored 1527 runs with four centuries and 10 half-centuries.
One of the most notable things about Babar is that even after playing so much cricket, he has not shown any signs of injury.
4) Marnus Labuschagne
Marnus Labuschagne started slow in the 2021-23 cycle of the WTC and was not able to perform according to his standards. However, Labuschagne made a comeback against West Indies at home and dominated the bowlers from the visitor's side.
Overall, Marnus Labuschagne scored 1509 runs in the 2021-23 WTC Cycle and this includes 5 centuries and an equal number of fifties. He will be a crucial player for Australia in the final as he has done well against Indian bowlers in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
5) Jonny Bairstow
Jonny Bairstow found himself in a difficult situation in recent times because of his injury in 2022 but the player started well in 2021. He received a major push from Englandβs new coach and the aggressive approach to English cricket helped him a lot to play his original game.
Overall, Bairstow scored 1285 runs in the 2021-22 WTC Cycle and scored 1285 runs at an average of 68.90. The English squad will get a huge benefit once Bairstow makes a comeback to the squad after recovering from the injury.
