![Root, Starc and Gill feature in Test TOTY 2025 [Source: cricket_broken, 141Adelaide_, sushipill77/X.com]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1766833646616_Joe_Root_Mitchell_Starc_Shubman_Gill.jpg?type=hq)
Root, Starc and Gill feature in Test TOTY 2025 [Source: cricket_broken, 141Adelaide_, sushipill77/X.com]
The Test calendar for the year 2025 came to its end on December 27, with the end of the Boxing Day Test between Australia and England, where the visitors clinched the match by 4 wickets to cap off a rather forgettable year for them.
The year started with a Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test, followed by some epic battles in England, when South Africa lifted their World Test Championship title, alongside India's series tie against the host and ended with the Proteas' epic series win in India and some Aussie domination in the Ashes. Here's how the best Test XI of 2025 looks.
Top-order batters
1. KL Rahul
KL Rahul is the highest run-scoring opener of the year, with 813 runs in 19 innings in 2025. After returning to the top of the order after Rohit Sharma's retirement, the experienced batter has shouldered the responsibility to grind in difficult situations and scored three hundreds and 3 fifties.
He averaged 45.16 in 2025 and was also the third-highest run-scorer of the England tour, with 532 runs in 10 innings (only 5 behind Joe Root). He scored centuries at Headingley and Lord's, while also scoring a match-saving 90(230) in Manchester.
2. Travis Head
Having recently been promoted to the opening position, Australia's Travis Head has shown immediate impact, with a 123(83) in Perth and 170(219) in Adelaide to stage an Ashes series win for Australia. His 817 runs in 11 matches, at an average of 40.85 with two tons and three fifties, is the second-most runs for any batter in Tests in 2025.
Head's impact in crucial games puts him ahead of the likes of Ben Duckett and Devon Conway in this line-up.
3. Joe Root
While the number 3 spot for England's leading Test run-scorer Joe Root is a position above his regular number 4, he remains the most sound technically batters in this line-up, who can adjust to the conditions. While he did not have the greatest of the Ashes tours once again, his 805 runs in 18 innings, averaging 50.31 with 4 hundreds and a fifty makes him un-droppable from the team.
Additionally, the lack of impactful performances from the number 3 across teams around the world makes it difficult to pick them. Only Wiaan Mulder's triple-century and a century against Zimbabwe is a standout number 3 performance this year, but he has not done anything substantial apart from the two knocks; hence, misses out.
Middle-order batter
4. Shubman Gill (c)
India's captain Shubman Gill was the highest Test run-scorer in 2025, scoring 983 runs in 16 innings, which included five centuries and a fifty. His Birmingham exploits, where he got a marathon 269(387) and 161(162), stood out among his other innings this year. As a first-time captain, he also tied the Test series in England and finished that series with 754 runs in 10 innings.
During the South Africa series, due to a neck injury, the number 4 was dearly missed in the 125-run chase, as India fell short by 30 runs. His absence in the second Test also disrupted India's balance and missed his leadership, leading to the debacle. Thanks to his 4 wins and a draw in 8 matches that he captained, he is also the captain of the Test Team of the Year for 2025.
As a batter with nearly 1000 runs, he is an automatic choice over the likes of Steve Smith (651) and Harry Brook (771). On the other hand, there wasn't enough sample size for Temba Bavuma (310).
.jpg)
All rounders and wicketkeeper
5. Ravindra Jadeja
The Indian all-rounder makes it to this team as a proper top-5 batter, thanks to his 764 runs in 17 innings, averaging 63.66 with the help of two centuries and six fifties in the calendar year to go with his 25 wickets in 18 innings, at an average of 38.2, with best figures reading 4/50. While he did not have the best of his years with the ball, his performances in England with the bat, including the famous Lord's knock, where he almost took India through with his 61 makes a room for him as a batting all-rounder.
6. Ben Stokes
The England Test captain returned to his full fitness this year after struggling with persistent knee problems over the past few years and instantly started bowling match-turning spells, picking 33 wickets in 17 innings as the fourth pacer at an average of 23.12 and an average of just 40.8. His best figures came in Perth, when he picked 5/23 in a losing cause. With the bat, Stokes did not have an ideal year, but managed 496 runs in 16 innings at number 6, with a century and a fifty to his name.
7. Alex Carey (wk)
Backing his great Sheffield Shield form from recent years, Alex Carey had one of his best years as a Test batter in 2025. He played a crucial role in Australia's series win in Sri Lanka with a 46*(69) and 156(188) in Galle, followed by a rescue knock of 43(50) in the WTC final. Months later, he was the second-highest run-scorer in the West Indies, scoring 187 runs in 3 Tests. Finally, he ended the year with two Ashes fifties and a 106(143) from 94/4 in Brisbane to help Australia to a series win.
He finishes the year with 767 runs, averaging 47.93 with two hundreds and four fifties. With the gloves, he inflicted 49 dismissals; notably, producing a masterclass against England.
Rishabh Pant (629 runs & 14 dismissals), being absent from half of the England series and the West Indies series, keeps him out of this team, while Jamie Smith's (577 runs & 35 dismissals) lack of impact in the Ashes gets him sidelined.
8. Marco Jansen
Jansen was a key figure in South Africa's historic series win, with both bat and ball. He finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the series with 12 wickets, averaging just over 10 and also picked a 6/48 in Guwahati. He also got 3/49 and 1/58 in their WTC final win at Lord's as the second pacer. With the bat, he got 180 runs in 6 innings this year, averaging 30, while also missing a century (93) in Kolkata to bat India out of the match.
Bowlers
9. Mitchell Starc
One of the names that walks straight into this team is Australian left-hand quick Mitchell Starc, who single-handedly dominated the English in the absence of Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins and picked 26 wickets in the first four Tests, taking his 2025 wicket tally to 55. He averaged 17.32 this year at a strike rate of 28.3 and got three five-fers and a 10-fer in 22 innings.
He famously also surpassed Wasim Akram's Test wicket tally of 414 wickets to become the most successful left-arm quick in the format, and also took a 6/9 vs WI to dismantle the hosts for 27 runs.
10. Simon Harmer
Harmer only played four Tests this year but made impactful contributions in India and Pakistan, helping them win a series 2-0 and draw the other 1-1, while picking 30 wickets at an average of 14.3 and a strike rate of 34.3. In both series, he exhibited masterclass off-spin bowling and stood head and shoulders above the rest. He had the best figures of 6/37 in the Proteas' Guwahati win and was also named Player of the Series.
His match-defining impact keeps him ahead of the likes of Noman Ali (30 wickets) and Taijul Islam (33 wickets).
11. Mohammed Siraj
With an injury concern ruling Jasprit Bumrah out of two of the five Tests in England, where Siraj showed incredible consistency and fitness, bowling as many as 185.3 overs as the lead pacer to finish with 23 wickets, including the match-winning, remarkable 9/190 at the Oval to level the series. In the calendar year, he was the bowler with the most overs bowled (311.3) and the second-leading wicket-taker behind Starc. He finished 2025 with 43 wickets at an average of 27.2 and a strike rate of 43.4.
While Bumrah (31 wickets at 22.16) and Scott Boland (32 wickets at 15) are promising, the sample size and impact for Siraj keep him ahead of the two.
Test Team of the Year 2025
KL Rahul, Travis Head, Joe Root, Shubman Gill (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Ben Stokes, Alex Carey (wk), Marco Jansen, Mitchell Starc, Simon Harmer, Mohammed Siraj.
