Best Test XI of 2019

6. Ben Stokes

If in the future, there is a Hall of Fame for the best cricketers of the year 2019, Benjamin Stokes will be the first player to feature in that list. Stokes played, probably, two of the greatest innings by an English batsman this calendar year. After having led England to World Cup glory through his unbeaten knock of 84 in the final against New Zealand, not many would have backed Stokes to script an encore of it- that too against Australia with the Ashes on the line.

But, it was that sort of year for Ben Stokes where he accentuated the boundaries as to what can be achieved on a cricket field. And, he certainly did accentuate those limits when he stonewalled the Aussies to the tune of 135 not-out at Leeds to help England save the Ashes. Overall, in 11 Tests, the 2019 ‘BBC Sports Personality of the Year’, racked up 772 runs at an average of 48.25 besides claiming 20 wickets with the ball.

Best Innings- 135 not-out vs Australia, Leeds

It has got to be that miraculous 135 not-out that Stoked played on that historic afternoon in Leeds. And, not only because of the volume of runs that he scored but also because of the different gears in which he paced that knock.

From blocking the hell out of everything (3 off first 72 balls) to smashing the daylights out of the Aussies in the second half- which included switch-hits, reverse paddle, square-cuts, ferocious hooks- of his innings, besides pacing the innings in between, Stokes virtually played every single gear that a batsman can operate in, to give England their first-ever successful 350+ run-chase in Test cricket. That, after having being bowled out for 67 in their first innings and reduced to 9/286 in the second.