IND vs NZ final: Top five Indian batsmen in ICC World Test Championship

During the ICC World Test Championship cycle (2019-2021), Ajinkya Rahane has been India's leading run-scorer, followed by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli will lead the Indian cricket team in the maiden ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, which will begin on June 18 at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton, against New Zealand. After defeating two of the finest Test-playing teams, Australia and England, in a bilateral series, India qualified for the WTC final.

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The cricketing calendar got disturbed due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic last year, thus ICC cricket committee changed points system of WTC, making percentage points as the criteria for qualification. India remained at the top of the points table with 12 wins in 17 games while New Zealand came second with 7 wins in 11 matches.

The Indian cricket team would struggle to adapt to the English conditions, whereas New Zealand will view the WTC final as their best chance to win an ICC title as it will square off with England in a two-match Test series before facing India in the WTC final.

India's top batsmen in ICC WTC

The onus will be on India's star-studded batting line-up, which includes Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane, to give the team its best shot at winning the inaugural World Test Championship.

Rohit began opening during a bilateral series against South Africa in India, when he scored two double hundreds and established his dominance as an opener in Test cricket. The Mumbaikar was given numerous chances in the middle order, but he failed to cement his spot before team management asked him to open the batting. In the WTC cycle, Rohit Sharma has amassed 1,030 runs in 17 innings, averaging 64.37, with four hundred and two fifties.

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Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has most runs in WTC for India as he scored 1,095 runs in 28 innings at an average of 43.8, including three centuries and six fifties. Rahane has been a trusted assistant to India’s charismatic captain Kohli and as a stand-in skipper, he led India to a dramatic 2-1 series win in Down Under after India was bundled out for a mere 36 in the first Test at Adelaide.

Here is the list of the top five Indian batsmen during the WTC cycle (2019-2021):

Player	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	0	4s	6s
Ajinkya Rahane	17	28	3	1095	115	43.8	2317	47.25	3	6	2	125	6
Rohit Sharma	11	17	1	1030	212	64.37	1597	64.49	4	2	0	123	27
Virat Kohli	14	22	2	877	254*	43.85	1563	56.11	2	5	4	108	3
Mayank Agarwal	12	20	0	857	243	42.85	1556	55.07	3	2	1	104	18
Chesteshwar Pujara	17	28	0	818	81	29.21	2222	36.81	0	9	3	98	3

Top 10 batsmen in WTC 2019-21:

Player	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	0	4s	6s
Marnus Labuschagne (AUS)	13	23	0	1675	215	72.82	2999	55.85	5	9	0	186	3
Joe Root (ENG)	20	37	2	1660	228	47.42	3037	54.65	3	8	3	168	5
Smith Smith (AUS)	13	22	1	1341	211	63.85	2509	53.44	4	7	1	151	7
Ben Stokes (ENG)	17	32	3	1334	176	46	2308	57.79	4	6	1	142	31
Ajinkya Rahane (INDIA)	17	28	3	1095	115	43.8	2317	47.25	3	6	2	125	6
Rohit Sharma (INDIA)	11	17	1	1030	212	64.37	1597	64.49	4	2	0	123	27
Dimuth Karunaratne (SL)	10	18	0	999	244	55.5	1873	53.33	4	4	0	115	2
Jos Buttler (ENG)	18	31	2	963	152	33.2	1821	52.88	1	4	1	108	14
David Warner (AUS)	12	22	2	948	335*	47.4	1519	62.4	3	1	3	94	1
Babar Azam (PAK)	10	17	3	932	143	66.57	1453	64.14	4	5	0	114	3
Virat Kohli (INDIA)	14	22	2	877	254*	43.85	1563	56.11	2	5	4	108	3
Mayank Agarwal (INDIA)	12	20	0	857	243	42.85	1556	55.07	3	2	1	104	18
Dean Elgar (SA)	11	21	2	848	160	44.63	1454	58.32	2	3	2	128	4
Dominic Sibley (ENG)	16	28	2	844	133*	32.46	2337	36.11	2	4	4	95	1
Cheteshwar Pujara (INDIA)	17	28	0	818	81	29.21	2222	36.81	0	9	3	98	3