Cricket.com.au's best Test XI of 2025

The 2025 calendar year threw up some brilliant Test cricket, plenty of memorable performances, several new records – and one notable non-record.

South Africa were the story of the year. They not only upset Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord's, but then followed it by pulling off the rare feat of beating India in India.

England and India meanwhile played one of the all-time great series through the northern summer, but Bazball was dead and buried within months when they lost the first three Ashes Tests during the Australian summer.

In terms of individual performances, South African Wiian Mulder's decision to declare on himself while standing in as captain against Zimbabwe 34 runs away from breaking Brian Lara's Test record-high individual score of 400no was arguably the year's biggest talking point.

Mulder failed to make our Test XII, but another Proteas captain did sneak in.

Australia, despite their squandering of the Test mace, have four players picked in this side having won all but two of their 11 matches in 2025. India also have four inclusions to reflect several strong individual years, while England and South Africa have two each.

1. KL Rahul (India)

M: 10 | Inn: 19 | R: 813 | Ave: 45.16 | 100s: 3 | HS: 137

No visiting opener in more than 20 years had enjoyed such a dominant series in England as KL Rahul managed in 2025. The stylish right-hander scored two hundreds and two fifties in five Tests to tally 532 runs, and while the centuries came in defeats, his resolute 90 from 230 balls in the fourth Test in Manchester, scored across 70 overs after India found themselves 2-0, set the tone for a valiant draw. Back home, Rahul made an even 100 against West Indies – the first time he has scored three centuries in the same year – and while he failed to continue his hot streak against South Africa, it was nonetheless his best 12 months in Test cricket, and the most prolific of any opener in 2025.

2. Travis Head (Australia)

M: 11 | Inn: 21 | Runs: 817 | Ave: 40.85 | SR: 79.39 | 100s: 2 | HS: 170

Head's year finished with an unexpected but successful move to the top of Australia's order, where, after replacing the injured Usman Khawaja, he hit two centuries in the first three Ashes Tests. Although they were the only hundreds of his calendar year, his 817 runs at 40.85 were the second most in 2025, behind only India skipper Shubman Gill. He made vital contributions on tricky surfaces all around the world: 34no in the fourth-innings chase against India in Sydney, 50s in both innings in Barbados and 46 in the second innings in the Boxing Day Test. But it will be tough to top his 123 in the chase against England in the Ashes opener in Perth, a match that had a previous highest score of 52.

3. Joe Root (England)

M: 10 | Inn: 18 | R: 805 | Ave: 50.31 | 100s: 4 | HS: 150

One of the game's batting greats achieved two firsts in 2025; a maiden Test hundred in Australia (keep those pants on, Haydos) as well as a first Ashes win on these shores. His 138no under lights in Brisbane has however come on an otherwise poor tour, passing 20 just once more. But his feats during the northern summer's run-fest against India, during which he piled on 571 runs in 10 innings, including three tons, were enough to win him a berth one spot above his favoured No.4 spot.

4. Shubman Gill (India)

M: 9 | Inn: 16 | R: 983 | Ave: 70.21 | 100s: 5 | HS: 269

It's incredible to think this batting prince was left out of India's side for their last Test of 2024, against Australia on Boxing Day. He has since taken on the game's most scrutinised job – as India's Test captain – and led from the front in one of the most prolific series ever by a batter, piling on 754 runs in five Test against England. Gill thrived as an in-your-face skipper in the UK, but was a key absence in the home series loss to South Africa, facing just two balls before suffering a neck injury.

5. Temba Bavuma (South Africa)

M: 4 | Inn: 7 | R: 310 | Ave: 51.66 | 100s: 1 | HS: 106

Bavuma's are comfortably the least impressive numbers in this side and he played in only half of his team's eight Tests this year. Yet, the South Africa skipper simply could not be left out. If not for the 66 he made with a hamstring tear at Lord's against Australia, the Proteas would surely have not celebrated their first major ICC title in any format. The WTC final injury ruled him out of two subsequent Tests against Zimbabwe, while he then missed a Pakistan tour with a calf problem. His return in November was triumphant, leading his side to the top of cricket's Mount Everest – a Test series win in India.

6. Alex Carey (Australia)

M: 11 | Ct: 44  | St: 5 | Inn: 17 | R: 767 | Ave: 47.93 | 100s: 2 | HS: 156

Typically a wicketkeeper is praised for his best work going unseen but it was impossible to overlook the quality of Alex Carey in both his roles throughout 2025. Australia's second-highest run-scorer and the sixth highest worldwide, Carey scored 156 from No.5 against Sri Lanka in Galle, then made crucial runs in the first two Tests in the Caribbean that helped the visitors get out of trouble. A more regular elevation up to No.6 during this summer's Ashes saw the left-hander produce a couple of important half-centuries, and those sandwiched a third Test hundred, in front of his home fans in Adelaide. After his brilliant work up to the stumps to pace pair Scott Boland and Michael Neser during the day-night Gabba Test, Carey drew praise from a catalogue of wicketkeeping greats, and the fact he was able to pull off what was a strategic move against England's aggressive batters played no small part in the hosts' dominance.

7. Ben Stokes (England)

M: 9 | Inn: 16 | R: 496 | Ave: 31.00 | 100s: 1 | HS: 141

W: 33 | Ave: 23.12 | 5WI: 2 | BBI: 5-23

It was a middling year for Stokes with the bat, a superhuman effort at Old Trafford where he scored 141 aside, but the allrounder elevated himself with a supreme return to the bowling crease after undergoing hamstring surgery. His marathon spells on flat wickets against India will become the stuff of legend; only Brydon Carse bowled more overs for England in 2025. While he will return home without the urn next month, Stokes has achieved what no visiting captain has done here since Andrew Strauss – win an Ashes Test in Australia.

8. Mitch Starc (Australia)

M: 11 | Inn: 22 | W: 55 | Ave: 17.32 | 5WI: 3 | BBI: 7-58

Starc was one of the first picked in this side after a career-best year in which he took 55 wickets, the most in the world. Starc claimed three six-wicket hauls, coming in consecutive matches. It began with his ludicrous 6-9 in the day-night Test against West Indies and he followed it up a few months later with 7-58 and 6-75 in the opening two Ashes Tests. Starc took a wicket every 28 deliveries this year, making his calendar year among the most dominant in history. As impressive was his durability – he played all of Australia's 11 Tests in 2025 and has now played 26 consecutively. Not to be discounted are his contributions with the bat. Not since 2019 had he registered a half-century but he did it three times in 2025, including an unbeaten 58no in the WTC Final.

9. Jasprit Bumrah (India)

M: 8 | Inn: 14 | W: 31 | Ave: 22.16 | 5WI: 3 | BBI: 5-27

While his ongoing management of a back issue meant he couldn't scale the heights of his remarkable 2024, Jasprit Bumrah nonetheless remained a fast-bowling menace in 2025. Three five-wicket hauls in eight Tests showcased his quality – the best of those a stunning haul of 5-27 from 14 overs at Eden Gardens against South Africa, the reigning Test world champions. Unusually, Bumrah's only wins through the calendar year came in two Tests at home to West Indies, as India's victories in a 2-2 series outcome in the UK came without their star man. He made his presence felt throughout that series however, capturing 14 wickets in three Tests, the highlights of which came in the space of five balls at Lord's, when he clean bowled England greats Ben Stokes and Joe Root. Yet again, the right-armer's numbers speak for themselves, and a strike-rate of 47.1 and economy rate of 2.82 allied with those above put him at the pointy end of pace bowlers worldwide this year.

10. Scott Boland (Australia)

M: 6 | Inn: 12 | W: 32 | Ave: 15.00 | 5WI: 1 | BBI: 6-45

Boland wins the final pace spot after another incredibly consistent 12 months which saw him play six Tests, the most of his short career to date. Boland played a critical role in Australia's New Year's Test victory over India in January, taking the first 10-wicket haul of his career with a stunning second-innings 6-45. Brought in for the final Test of the West Indies series in Jamaica, Boland registered the 12th hat-trick by an Australian bowler and the first ever in pink-ball cricket. Following injuries to Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, Boland was picked for the Ashes opener in Perth, ultimately changing the course of the opening Test with a spell of 3-3 that dismantled England's top order and their grasp on the match.

11. Simon Harmer (South Africa)

M: 4 | Inn: 8 | W: 30 | Ave: 14.30 | 5WI: 2 | BBI: 6-37

The off-spinner played only four Tests this year (Keshav Maharaj played the WTC final instead) but boy did he make an impact. His 17 wickets in the two-Test triumph over India came at 8.94 – the best average by a visiting spinner in a series there. Harmer, a county star for Hampshire, has had an unheralded international career, with 69 wickets coming from 14 Tests. 

12th man. Ravindra Jadeja (India)

M: 10 | Inn: 17 | Runs: 764 | Ave: 63.66 | W: 25 | Ave: 38.20

Jadeja just misses out on our allrounder spot to England captain Ben Stokes but it was still an excellent year from the Indian stalwart. Jadeja had the best year of his career with the bat, hitting 764 runs (seventh overall) with two centuries and six fifties, relishing his role at No.6 in the Indian order. His bowling was less effective, taking 25 at 38.2, his highest bowling average in a calendar year since 2014 (56.41).