Harsha Bhogle's Test XI of 2025

I know. I just thought it's a festive season so I look a little festive too.

Though I suspect I've been spending too much time with DH Karthik.

Normally at this time of the year, the editor at Cribbus calls me and says, "We need to do these teams of the year at the end of the year." But this time, he just said, "I think we'll do a few more

interesting blogs." So, I got the

interesting blogs." So, I got the message. I've done different ones on

message. I've done different ones on Cricut. So, I thought I'd pick my test

Cricut. So, I thought I'd pick my test and ODI teams of the year right here.

So, here we are. We'll start with the test match team of the year. I must have a little statement to make before I start, though. This is very often an

start, though. This is very often an individual choice. It's based on the

individual choice. It's based on the kind of cricket you like to see, the kind of players you see, the moments that you see. This is not the definitive team of the year. I don't have the

bandwidth or the stature for that. This

is just my test team of the year and I enjoy going through the numbers and picking these teams. So, here we go.

We'll start as usual with the openers.

And there were a few that stood out. My

first opener this year is Kale Raul. 813

runs from 19 innings. He averaged 45. He

hit 300s. He just looked so composed.

You just looked at him and you said, "This is what I want my test match opening batter to be." So Kale Rahul gets the first spot. Now for the second spot. So many contenders. You could look

spot. So many contenders. You could look at Ryan Rickleton. He had one big innings. Not a lot around that one big

innings. Not a lot around that one big innings. Then you had Deon Conway who

innings. Then you had Deon Conway who filled his boots at the end of the year, but I went with a player who actually didn't open for a major part of the season, but then when he got his

opportunity, played two matchwinning innings as an opener. And so I've gone with Travis Head right and left, but that's purely incidental. Gone with

Travis Head. He averaged 42, but I picked him as an impact player. So my

openers are Kale Rahul and Travis Head.

Now 345.

I've normally said that I like to pick players who play in a certain position.

It's very easy to just pick the three or four best batsmen and assign a position to them. But you know, it was it was a

to them. But you know, it was it was a strange year this year. At number four, you had three players you just simply could not look beyond. And you had

options at number five like Harry Brookke. But at number four, how do you

Brookke. But at number four, how do you look beyond? How do you make a team that

look beyond? How do you make a team that picks only one of Schuman Gil, Steve Smith, Joe Root, and then there's still

Timber Bahuma in there, but he didn't play enough test matches. So, I've taken a little liberty and I've picked those three outstanding number fours to bat at

3, four, and five. At three, I picked Schuman Gil because he opened for a major part of his career. He's only just settled in at number four. I think he'll be fine at number three behind Rahul and

Travis Head. So, he's my number three. I

Travis Head. So, he's my number three. I

think the preeminent number fours of our era are Steve Smith and Joe Root. I've

gone Joe Root at number four, Steve Smith at number five. The numbers for them are astonishing. And I think Schuman Gill is in with a very fair shout for the test player of the year

with 983 runs and five centuries.

Bit hard on Tenba. You know he's my favorite player. I've got something very

favorite player. I've got something very special coming up for Tenbauma. So I've

got three, four, five. Now at six and seven I've got to have the keeper and the allrounder. Now my allrounder has

the allrounder. Now my allrounder has got to be a batting allrounder because he will he'll be the fifth bowler and the wicket keeper will will contribute

with the bat as well. So with that in mind I looked at a spin bowler. You

could either look at a spinner as your fifth bowler or you could look at a seam bowler as your fifth bowler. But

typically if you got three seamers two spinners that just gives you a lot of a lot of balance to the side. I've looked

at Raindra Jadea as my number six. Look

at his batting numbers. 17 innings,

63.7. Didn't have his best year. Let's

be clear. Didn't have his best year as a bowler, but as a batter, he was at that number. I don't think there was any

number. I don't think there was any competition at all. He took 25 wickets at 38.2. I don't mind those numbers as a

at 38.2. I don't mind those numbers as a fifth bowler who could create damage when it starts to get difficult on the fourth or fifth day. So, I've got Jala

at number six. Now at number seven is my wicket keeper. The wicket keeper I

wicket keeper. The wicket keeper I picked could easily bat at six. There

were three standout keepers this year in test match cricket. There was Risha Pand who's always in with a shout in test match cricket. There's Jamie Smith a

match cricket. There's Jamie Smith a player that I have a lot of time for and who I think is going to become a serious international cricketer very soon if he isn't already.

But how do you look beyond Alex Kerry?

Who on earth can look beyond Alex Kerry?

Look at his batting numbers by themselves. 15 innings, 743 runs at 53.

themselves. 15 innings, 743 runs at 53.

But this was the year in which Alex Kerry, who comes from a fabulous lineage of wicked keepers. Australia has over the last 60, 70 years always had

standout keepers. But this was the year

standout keepers. But this was the year in which Alex Kerry said, "Me, I belong in that league." his keeping standing up

to Scott Bolan keeping to the spinners was fantastic. I just think Alex Kerry

was fantastic. I just think Alex Kerry did everything that was asked of him and so Alex Kerry is my keeper in this side.

Now my other options as batters were Shamto from Bangladesh at number three but he as I said you just couldn't look beyond the three that I've picked and a player who's such a natural fit at

number five in Harry Brookke but when Harry Brookke finishes playing the boxing day test and he looks back at what was a really eventful year for him as a batter he'd say did I lose my side

two crucial test matches with my temperament and when he gets beyond that he will be one of the finest number fives there are. Right. So now I've got to look at

are. Right. So now I've got to look at three fast bowlers and I've got to look at a spinner.

The preeeminent fast bowler of the year was Mit Stark. Just ran in and ran in.

When the key bowlers were away, he took all the wickets. He led the attack and he finished the year with 51 wickets at

17. If 2024

17. If 2024 was the year where you just could not look beyond Jasprit Bumra, 2025 was the year of Midstark. Now you've got to find

two fast bowlers around him. Jasprit

Bumra as ever had a fantastic year. But

I'm looking at somebody else. He didn't

play a lot actually, but look at the numbers for Pat Cumins. Just six

matches, 26 wickets at 16.53. Bumrad 31

at 22 and could easily come in as the third Sim. Wow, that would be some

third Sim. Wow, that would be some attack, but I had Pat Cumins as captain and as my other pass bowler and I don't normally pick captains because this is

not a side that goes out to play, but if you wanted to have one, there was Pat Cumins in there. Now for my third fast bowler, I had to go between reason and

emotion. I went with my heart. It was

emotion. I went with my heart. It was

easy to pick Jasmid Bumrah as the third seamer in the year, but his was a pick and choose year primarily determined but definitely determined by his back

situation. And so I went with someone

situation. And so I went with someone who bold and bold and bold and bold. And

when the time came, he said, "Here I am." And for sheer grit, for sheer

am." And for sheer grit, for sheer heart, for sheer emotion, for sheer determination, I've gone Muhammad Siraj as my third pass bowler in this side.

That leaves a spinner. I had two choices. There was uh Noman Ali of of

choices. There was uh Noman Ali of of Pakistan and there's Simon Hmer of South Africa. I went with Simon Hmer

Africa. I went with Simon Hmer eventually because I you don't just get to see enough of Pakistan play. I didn't

get to see enough of Noan Ali. I don't

know what conditions he got those wickets in but what I saw Simon Hmer told me that currently it'd be very difficult to look beyond him for a spin

bowler slot. So there you are. That's my

bowler slot. So there you are. That's my

11. I think it bats deep enough. I think

it's got options for taking wickets. If

you want additional spin bowling options, you've got you got Travis Head there. You've got Joe Root there. Shh,

there. You've got Joe Root there. Shh,

don't hear I said it, but I think if Joe Root put his mind to it, he could be England's best off break bowler. There's

not a lot of competition there, but maybe I didn't say it. The team of the year in many ways was South Africa, wasn't it? And yet, I've only found

wasn't it? And yet, I've only found space for Ham. I'd have loved to find space for Maiso Rabbara with the way he bowled in that world test championship final. love to find space for Aiden

final. love to find space for Aiden Markham with the with that 100 for the ages in that world test championship final but South Africa played such little test cricket and there's a reason there's only one there so there you are

that's my team now I had four awards to give at the end of picking this team my breakout cricket of the year is Jacob Duffy of New Zealand across formats

you've been hearing about Jacob Duffy year or two and he comes in when the bowlers weren't around and suddenly the bowlers weren't around and in every format Jacob Duffy said I don't care if

the bowlers are not around you cannot look beyond me. So across formats Jacob Duffy the breakout player of the year sometimes you don't give importance to players outside the major test match

teams but every time you looked at the scorecard this year there was blessing Muzar Rabani of Zimbabwe. a special

award this year. Special mention this year to blessing Muzar Rabani. My test

player of the year. There were two contenders as I said there was Shuban Gil and there was Mit Stark but with ball 51 wickets with bat always there.

Took the responsibility much like Gil did but I'm going with Mid Stark as my test match player of the year. But I've

got a personality of the year for sheer dignity, class and maturity with which he led the side. Was all always had a measured response to difficult

situations as a batter. Went in and got difficult runs. Won his side a world

difficult runs. Won his side a world test championship. Came to India won two

test championship. Came to India won two test matches. One of the toughest gigs

test matches. One of the toughest gigs going around in world cricket. My sports

my cricket personality of the year is Timber Babuma. There you are. Tell me

Timber Babuma. There you are. Tell me

what you think of these choices. Make

your own team and have a festiva here. So, thank you for watching and do subscribe to this channel.