There is a mental aspect to every sport, of course. But the type of mental resilience required can vary drastically, depending on a host of factors that are unique to every single sport. And while every sporting endeavour may require some introspection and mental tweaks, there are very few that can rival the fortitude necessary for the top Test cricket batter.
In essence a battle between bat and ball, anyone who has spoken with any authority about the game has often stated the other, perhaps sometimes even greater, competition that is taking place on the cricket field. That is the duel between the batter and him or herself. Indeed, it is an activity that is unique among sports, often requiring hours upon hours of concentration, yet in some ways every moment completely unrelated to what has come before and what will come next. And while technique, balance and concentration are all important, there is an element of the gambler every time a ball is delivered: will I play forward or back, will the bowler choose to go short, will the ball spin? Anyone who has ever played casino sites uk or had a friendly game or poker will tell you it’s akin to a game of cards at times. Bluff or go big?
With all of this in mind, we’ve decided to take a look at the best performing batsman currently playing Test cricket as of 2024. Their Test averages are correct as of 27th November 2024, and we have used average as the basis in which to list them. The only other requirement is that the individual must have played a minimum of 20 innings.
The man of the moment. This youngster has taken to the long format with aplomb and is currently the only active player to have a Test average within the top ten of all time – he sits at tenth in that iconic list. Of course, that average will probably drop over time, as it so often does after some Test batters hit the stage like lightning. But this player undoubtedly has the character, talent and technique to open the batting for his country for a decade or more. And in terms of psychology, there cannot be much more pressure in sport than opening the batting for arguably the most cricket crazy nation on earth. But as anyone who knows Jaiswal’s story will tell you, it is a burden he will most probably handle exceptionally.
A middle-order player who has made a mockery of the legacy of Test cricket at times with his almost disregard of the long-held belief that batting in the long format must be approached with caution. A swashbuckling talent who will surely soon break the long-established England record for the quickest test tonne, Brook has taken to Test cricket like a duck to water and is perhaps the personification of the Bazball approach that has marked England’s performances in recent times. But this is a player who has sound defensive technique too. That average will probably drop, but Brook should be an England regular for years to come.
The only player on this list with a considerable number of Test matches behind him, Smith’s is an average that surely won’t deviate much between now and the end of his career. Although it no longer exceeds 60 – which it did for quite some time – thanks to a recent dip in form, Smith’s is a fairytale career that will see him for a long time regarded as one of the finest and grittiest batters to ever play the game. His technique may not be textbook, or particularly pleasing on the eye, but it has long got results. Smith’s in an approach that underpins the psychological aspects of Test batting, and the Australian is the personification of determination balanced with talent.
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