Top 7 Test Cricketers Of The Last Five Years

Ben Stokes has been terrific for the team with both bat and ball. He has deservedly been handed over the captaincy of the Test team following the stepping down of Joe Root. Stokes has proved to be the premier allrounder in Test cricket of the last half-decade.

- Renin Wilben

International cricket has produced some fantastic performers over the last five years. From batters to bowlers and all-rounders, there have been some terrific match-winning efforts from players of different countries. Some performances have resulted in fabulous wins, while a few have been in vain. The players, though, have won much praise for their efforts. In this feature, we look at the top seven cricketers of the last five years.

1. BEN STOKES: England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been terrific for the team with both bat and ball. He has deservedly been handed over the captaincy of the Test team following the stepping down of Joe Root. Stokes has proved to be the premier all-rounder in Test cricket of the last half-decade. In 50 matches since January 2017, he has scored 3353 runs at an average of 37.67 with seven hundreds and 20 fifties, the Headingley ton being the standout effort. The all-rounder's contribution with the bat has been significant too. He has claimed 98 wickets at an average of 31.54 with one five-wicket haul.

2. JOE ROOT: His captaincy may have been poor, but Joe Root has been the best batter in Test cricket over the last five years by some distance. His figures are proof of the same. Since the start of 2017, he has notched up 5691 runs from 67 Tests at an average of 48.22 with 16 hundreds and 27 fifties. While he has been exceptional at home, he has scored runs all over the globe as well. Root registered double hundreds in Sri Lanka and India during successive tours in 2020-21. In the home series against India, he smashed three tons last year and averaged a Bradmanesque 99 in the recently-concluded home series against New Zealand.