The 2021-23 World Test Championship cycle has culminated successfully with Australia winning the final against India at The Oval, London. There were some tremendous performances from the Australians which helped them win their maiden WTC.
In the past two years of this cycle, there have been some phenomenal batting performances which became the headlines and today we are going to showcase the top five performances from them. Here is the list of the top five individual batting displays of the WTC 2021-23:
#5 Joe Root vs India
The match must have been known for India’s heroics at the iconic Lords but from England’s perspective, Joe Root batted exceptionally well and scored a terrific 180 against a quality Indian bowling attack.
Root was unbeaten till the end and scored 18 boundaries in his magnificent innings. India after batting first scored 364 runs whereas England put up a total of 391 in their first innings because of Root’s classic. Some remarkable show with the ball helped India beat England in the game but the English player gained applause for his magical innings which was then written on the honours board.
#4 Dinesh Chandimal vs Australia
Another unbeaten innings that captured the eyes of the cricket fans was Dinesh Chandimal’s outstanding 206 runs against Australia at Galle. What made this innings even more special was the fact that Lankans won the match by an innings and levelled the series. The right-hander battered fearlessly throughout the game and helped Sri Lanka post a mammoth total of 554.
Dinesh Chandimal scored a remarkable double-century against Australia
On the other hand, the Kangaroos were bowled out for 364 and 151 respectively in their innings. The Australians were kept at the backfoot throughout even after centuries from Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.
Chandimal was awarded with the Player of the Series trophy for his exceptional innings and Sri Lanka ended the series on a high note.
#3 Marnus Labuschagne vs West Indies
What made Marnus Labuschagne a special player is the ability to score runs in Test cricket. His unbeaten innings of 204 runs against the West Indies earned him a lot of praise from the cricketing fraternity. This was the game held in Perth, a pitch which offers a lot of bounce, however, Labuschagne beautifully excelled in his innings and scored a remarkable double-century.
Steve Smith also scored a double ton in the same innings and together they helped Australia put 598 runs on the board. They made 182 for 2 in their second innings and gave the Windies a target of 498. In reply, the visitors could only score 283 and 333 in their respective innings and lost the battle by 164 runs. Labuschagne won the player of the match award for his double century in the first innings followed by another hundred in the second innings.
#2 Tom Latham vs Bangladesh
Last year in January, Tom Latham played one of the finest knocks of all time in Test cricket. He was the skipper of New Zealand and played a captain’s knock of 252 runs against Bangladesh in Christchurch. His innings 32 boundaries and two maximums which helped the Kiwis score 521 in their first innings.
Tom Latham scored a magnificent double-century against Bangladesh in January 2022
In reply, Bangladesh were bowled out for just 126 in their first innings followed by a follow-on innings of 278. New Zealand won the encounter by an innings and 117 runs and Tom Latham became the man of the match for his excellent show.
#1 Travis Head vs India
Travis Head’s innings of 163 runs against India in the 2023 WTC final grabbed all the attention and put the Indian team on the back foot early in the match. His innings came at a strike rate of around 94 which is outstanding in Test cricket. Head’s intentions were clear that he wanted to have a result in this game and that too in favour of Australia.
Australia scored 469 in the first innings and half of the game was already won during that time. A good knock from Ajinkya Rahane kept India in the game but due to lack of support, he couldn’t do much for India. Indians were bowled out for 296 in the first innings and bowled well in the second innings, still getting the target of 444 to achieve.
Rohit & Co. failed to achieve the score and lost the battle and the WTC final for the second time in a row. Travis Head was adjudged as the player for his marvellous innings of 163 which was the backbone for Australia’s victory.