From top run-getters to most wicket-takers: List of players who ruled World Test Championship charts

The two-year search for World Champions in Test cricket finally came to an end after New Zealand defeated India by eight wickets in the World Test Championship (WTC) final to lift the prestigious trophy at Rose Bowl in Southampton on Wednesday (June 23).

New Zealand’s remarkable swing and seam attack inspired the Black Caps to register a memorable victory on the star-studded Virat Kohli-led Indian team. All-rounder Kyle Jamieson, who picked up a five-wicket haul in the first innings and a couple of scalps in the second essay, was named ‘Player of the Match’.

Players from different teams dominated in the entire WTC cycle of 2019-21. Some batters showed top-class cricket with consistent performance, while some ruled the bowling charts. But who ended up as the number one amongst different categories? Let’s have a look at some of the most high-class performers:

Highest run-scorer: Marnus Labuschagne

Australian batting sensation Marnus Labuschagne exhibited top-of-the-line performance with utmost consistency in the WTC cycle. He played 13 matches and scored 1675 runs at an impressive average of 72.82.

Highest wicket-taker: Ravichandran Ashwin

Although India ended up as the runners-up in the WTC final, but this two-year period has been phenomenal for Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. On the last day of the WTC final against New Zealand, Ashwin leapfrogged Pat Cummins to become the leading wicket-taker in the tournament. The Tamil Nadu cricketer bagged 71 wickets from 14 matches at an average of 20.33.

Most dismissals (wicketkeepers): Tim Paine

Australian Test captain and wicketkeeper Tim Paine finished holds the record for the highest number of dismissals by a wicketkeeper in the competition. Paine made 65 dismissals in 14 matches. He took 63 catches and affected 2 stumpings.

Highest partnership (by runs): Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls

During a match against Pakistan at Christchurch in January earlier this year, Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls created a record of achieving the highest partnership in terms of runs in the WTC cycle. The pair added 369 runs for the fourth wicket. The Kiwi skipper scored 238 runs while Nicholls made 157 runs.

Most catches (non-wicketkeeper): Joe Root

England captain Joe Root ended the tournament as the leading catch taker. In 20 matches, the 30-year-old plucked as many as 34 catches.

Most 100s/50s: Marnus Labuschagne

Marnus Labuschagne, who scored the most number of runs in the competition, is also the leading century and fifty hitters. He has smashed five hundreds and 14 fifty-plus scores.

Most five-wicket hauls: Kyle Jamieson

The ‘Player of the Match’ in the WTC final, Kyle Jamieson, surpassed Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon during the summit clash against India when he picked up his fifth five-wicket haul. Both Ashwin and Lyon had taken four fifers.

Most sixes: Ben Stokes

England’s star all-rounder Ben Stokes is the leading six-hitter in the tournament. In 17 matches, Stokes managed to hit 31 sixes.