2023 was a crucial year for test cricket as we saw a new World Test Champion. The Australians added another trophy to their cabinet when they defeated India in the World Test Championship final at the Oval. In this article, we will take a look at those players who served the fans of Test cricket with extraordinary performances in 2023 and can win the Test Cricketer of the Year award.
Usman Khwaja
Usman Khwaja has been an absolute match-winner for Australia in test cricket in 2023. His contribution was significant in making Australia the world test champions for the first time. This was a challenging year for Australia as they had to go through a long tour of England where they first played the WTC final and then the Ashes against England. Khwaja will end this year as the leading run scorer with 1210 runs in his account from 13 test matches and might add more runs as he is playing the boxing day test against Pakistan.
Nathan Lyon
Another Australian to grace this list with his presence. Nathan Lyon, in all probability, will end up as the leading wicket-taker this year with 45 wickets in 10 matches. He has completed 500 wickets in his test career and became only the second off-spinner to get to this milestone. An Australian spinner ending up as the leading wicket-taker tells a lot about the quality of this great bowler.
R Ashwin
Another off-spinner who will feature in this list is Ravichandran Ashwin. He played a key role in guiding India to the WTC final and his performances have been exceptional, as usual. In 7 matches that he has played so far, the 37-year-old has taken 40 wickets at an incredible average of 16.75 and will add a few more to his tally by the time this year ends.
Travis Head
Travis Head had arguably the biggest role in Australia’s WTC victory as he smashed a brilliant century in the final to brush aside the Indian bowlers. In 2023, Head has amassed 919 runs in 12 matches. He has really impressed the fans with his attacking approach which continues to make him one of the most important players for the Kangaroos.
Stuart Broad
The only English cricketer to make it into this list is Stuart Broad, who bid farewell to international cricket in 2023. Before retiring, Broad crossed the barrier of 600 wickets in test cricket that earned him a place in history books. He played 8 matches in 2023 and picked up 38 wickets before hanging up his boots.