Test cricket is undeniably the most challenging format for any player to master. The longest version demands that players give their best throughout the days of play.
There have been a handful of Indian cricketers who managed to get quite a big share of the success in Test cricket. Besides their hard work, they also displayed consistency throughout the year when they were at their best.
The ICC, on the other hand, marked their exceptional performances with the Test Cricketer of the Year award.
Here is a list of Indian players who received the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award.
Indian Players To Win ICC Test Cricketer Of The Year Award
1. Rahul Dravid
The ICC started the annual award in 2004, and Rahul Dravid won it as the very first recipient. He was India’s batting backbone at No.3.
And Dravid showcased his best form in the 2003-04 season. In nine Test matches, the right-handed batsman scored 1241 runs in 16 innings.
He maintained an unbelievable average of 95.46 with three hundreds and four fifties to his credit. Dravid also reached his all-time high score of 270, which was the reason India’s victory over Pakistan by an innings and 131 runs in the Rawalpindi Test of 2004.
The ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award was first given to him due to his incredible consistency.
2. Gautam Gambhir
Five years later, Gautam Gambhir became the second Indian to wear the crown in 2009. The award was a direct result of his comeback to the Test squad where he was really impressive.
Gambhir commenced his career in the format in late 2004 but he could not leave the kind of impact one would expect. He had to suffer the consequences of an unsuccessful year, so he was dropped from the side.
However, after performing in limited-overs cricket in 2007, he was once again considered for the Test squad. This time, Gambhir was ready for the challenge, grabbing it with both hands, and having 1269 runs in eight Tests to prove it.
His run totals included smashing five centuries and four half-centuries while he was maintaining a remarkable average of 84.60 in the 2008-09 season. That extraordinary performance not only guaranteed him a place in the squad but also earned him the title.
3. Virender Sehwag
Gambhir’s dashing partner, Virender Sehwag, took the very next year detour. The right-handed opener turned aggressive batting into a standard practice even when up to that time a lot of players prefered to take the defensive approach.
And Sehwag was at his usual best in 2010. He amassed 1422 runs in just 25 innings (14 Tests) with an average of 61.82 and a crazy-high strike rate of 90.80.
Sehwag’s remarkable run of form also consisted of five hundred runs and eight fifty runs. His dominant batting performance led to his winning the Test Cricketer of the Year award for the year 2010.
4. Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin was the one Indian bowler who was the first to win the Test Cricketer of the Year award. And he did it in 2016 when he gave his best performance in a year calendar.
India was virtually unassailable on home grounds during Ashwin’s magnificent Test career; his was such an impact. The former off-spinner revealed a piece of his spinning genius in 2016, taking 72 wickets in 12 Tests.
Ashwin also added eight five-wicket hauls and three 10-fors to his credit while also setting records for his career-best innings (7/59) and match (13/140) figures. He even contributed with the bat showing his more than useful batting skills.
The superlative from Tamil Nadu who is also a bowler scored 612 runs in those matches, which included two Test centuries and four half-centuries. For his all-round performance, Ashwin also won the ICC Cricketer of the Year award in the same year.
5. Virat Kohli
After two years, Virat Kohli stepped into the limelight along with the above four Indians. The ex-captain of the Indian Test team was really great with the bat during the year 2018.
Kohli was at his most potent 2016-2018, scoring more than 1000 runs in every one of the three years successively. However, in 2018, he was a beast scoring 1322 runs in 24 innings (13 Tests).
The right-handed batsman had an average of 55.08 while hitting the Test Cricketer of the Year award.
6. Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah is the most recent recipient of the annual award. He was the first Indian fast bowler and, overall, the sixth from India to receive the prestigious honor.
Bumrah is probably one of the best bowlers among the Indian pacers ever. And in the year 2024, he really showed how fast he can be.
He was supreme in red ball cricket and took 71 wickets in 26 innings (13 Tests). Bumrah’s average was less than 15, which is a sign of a very good control over the ball. A total of 5 five-wicket hauls was one of the pacer’s grabs as well.
But what makes it so remarkable is that Bumrah finished the year as the ICC ranked No. 1 Test bowler.
