Harsha Bhogle has revealed his Test Team of 2024, which is dominated by England players and has only two Indians. Bhogle's 2024 Test squad has three English players, two Indians and four players from Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
The renowned broadcaster has picked young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal as the first pick of his Test team of the year. Yashasvi Jaiswal has so far amassed 1332 runs in 27 innings at an average of over 52 with the help of seven fifties and three hundreds both at home and away.
Harsha Bhogle unveils his star-studded Test squad of 2024
His second opener is England's Ben Duckettwho scored a hundred in Rajkot and in Multan and five fifties to end the year with 1,100 runs to his name in Test cricket. Talking about his openers, Harsha Bhogle said on Cricbuzz, “Yashasvi Jaiswal has done everything asked of him as an opener, so he is my first pick from the Test team of 2024. I picked Ben Duckett because of the runs he has marked them. everywhere in the world.”
Reaching the crucial position of batting number three, the Indian commentator chose New Zealand legend Kane Williamson, who scored 1013 runs in just 18 innings at an average of nearly 60 with the help of four hundreds and as many fifties. Harsha also mentioned Shubman Gill, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne.
But Bhogle said “I found it very difficult to look past Kane Williamson, even if his numbers are skewed by a run of heavy scores at home, but how do you leave out someone who has made huge runs at No.3?” Meanwhile, Harsha Bhogle has picked Joe Root at number 4 in his Test team of the year.
Joe Root amassed 1556 runs in 31 innings at an average of over 55 with the help of five fifty-six hundreds for England in 2024. the commentator then chose Harry Brook saying he “will be a special player”. He pointed out that Brook got plenty of runs in Pakistan and New Zealand, saying the Englishman was just producing runs.
Harsha Bhogle hails Harry Brook as a special player
However, Harsha noted that Brook struggled when the ball started to turn, but he made 1,100 runs at an average of 55 with the help of four hundreds, so it was an easy choice for him at No. 5. Bhogle said: “He's (Brook) going to be a really special player as he develops. I just love the boldness with which he plays.”
He then picked Sri Lankan star Kamindu Mendis at No. 6. He was just overwhelmed by Mendis' carnage as he scored 1,049 runs at a staggering average of 75 with 5 centuries this year.
Harsha stated, “I wondered what Mendis was doing when I started seeing his scores at No. 7, then I watched him bat and wondered even more what he was doing batting at No. 7. Finally, Sri Lanka started to push it. Above; he will be a player. I just hope that Sri Lanka look after him, give him the right numbers and stick with him even if he is going through a bit of a downward patch.”
He then named Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan as his number seven player and wicket-keeper in his Test team of 2024. India's left-arm spinner and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja got No. 8 in Bhogle's Test XI of the year. Jadeja has taken 44 wickets and scored over 500 runs in 11 Tests in 2024. He will add more in the Boxing Day Test against Australia.
Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack of Harsha Bhogle's Test XI of the year
Harsha Bhogle's bowling attack was featured Gus Atkinson (52 wickets in 11 Tests), Kagiso Rabada (32 wickets in 7 Tests) and Jasprit Bumrah (62 wickets in 12 Tests). The broadcaster said he had gone with a spin specialist, three fast bowlers and fifth bowler Joe Root in the 2024 Test XI.
Praising Bumrah, Harsha said, “What a joy it was to watch Jasprit Bumrah in different formats, situations, countries; there is no bowler in world cricket at the moment like Bumrah and he takes his country's bowling attack wherever he goes.
Here is Harsha Bhogle's Test Team of 2024:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ben Duckett, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Kamindu Mendis, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Gus Atkinson, Kagiso Rabada, Jasprit Bumrah (C).