A significant shift in the sport of cricket was witnessed with the advent of the T20 format, particularly franchise cricket, and it is nothing less than a revolution in the sport.
The rise of the shortest format has somewhat dimmed the popularity of Test cricket, and the reduced number of Test matches has forced players to focus on white-ball cricket.
However, in recent years, there have been some significant developments in the five-day cricket, which will bring back the glory of the purest format of cricket.
In an era where most cricketers focus on establishing themselves in T20 cricket, there are some young players who have already garnered attention in red-ball cricket.
Let’s take a look at the best under-25 players in Test cricket who are making waves with their phenomenal batting skills.
Abdullah Shafique
Although it is too early to make big claims, most cricket experts believe that the right-handed opener is the next big thing in Test cricket due to his skills and technique.
The 23-year-old batter has played just 14 Test matches for Pakistan, but his maturity and sense of responsibility have turned heads in the cricketing fraternity across the world.
Shafique came into the spotlight when he joined an elite company, overtaking the long-standing record of Javed Miandad for the most Test runs by a Pakistani in the first six Tests.
Watching him at the crease, playing both spinners and pacers with ease, brings back memories of Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, and Younis Khan.
Scoring a maiden double hundred in the recent series against Sri Lanka with a strike rate of almost 62 is a positive sign for the Babar Azam-led side in the ongoing World Test Championship. Here are Abdullah Shafique’s batting stats:
FORMAT Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100s 50s 4s 6s Ct St
Test 14 26 2 1,220 201 50.83 2,764 44.13 4 4 119 18 12 0
FC 26 43 4 2,346 232 60.15 4,618 50.80 9 8 258 32 21 0
Shubman Gill
The young Indian opening batter has been in the headlines since his debut in Australia back in 2019 when he scored 259 runs at a commendable average of 51.80 with two fifties.
Starting his red-ball career in Australia, especially as an opener against the likes of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, was not an easy job to do.
The way the right-hander batted made fans believe that he was silently confident of taking on the massive responsibility and doing a good job of it.
In his batting, one can see the calmness and maturity of legendary batters, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, and the class and glory of Virat Kohli at the age of just 23.
A truly exceptional player stands out through his innate sense of timing, intuitive awareness of fielder positions, and remarkable skill to find gaps between any two fielders and Shubman Gill has all these skills.
FORMAT Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100s 50s 4s 6s Ct St
Test 18 33 3 966 128 32.20 1,638 58.97 2 4 112 13 14 0
FC 45 77 8 3,508 268 50.84 5,072 69.16 10 16 419 47 31 0
Harry Brook
Brook came into the spotlight during PSL 7, where he scored 254 runs at an average of 52.80. His contribution helped Lahore Qalandars clinch the trophy and Brook hasn’t looked back since.
His selection in the England national squad and consistency in all formats made him one of the highest-paid cricketers in the money-rich franchise cricket, IPL, this year.
The interesting thing in his cricketing career is his fast batting approach in Test cricket, which the England team adopted with the name of Bazball last year.
The 24-year-old batter became the fastest batter to score a thousand runs in terms of balls faced in Test cricket, facing just 1,058 balls during the Ashes.
Brook achieved this milestone in his 10th match and 16 innings, which is the joint 6th highest in the history of Test cricket, and is positive for both cricket and England.
Cameron Green
At just 23 years of age, Cameron Green has emerged as a potential world-class all-rounder, fulfilling Australia’s quest for such a talented and skillful cricketer.
In 20 Test matches, he boasts a batting average of 38 and a bowling average of 30, outperforming cricket legends like Jacques Kallis and Imran Khan at the same stage of their careers.
The impact of the young all-rounder goes beyond his individual prowess as he played a crucial role in balancing the Australian team during their Test series against India.
By serving as a second seamer alongside Mitchell Starc, Australia could field three spinners while maintaining a strong batting lineup, leading to a decisive win in the Indore Test.
The adaptability of the right-hander shines in various conditions, excelling in Asia and at home with a batting average of 49 compared to 32 in Oceania.
FORMAT Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100s 50s 4s 6s Ct St
Test 24 36 4 1,075 114 33.59 2,305 46.63 1 6 112 7 25 0
FC 54 85 13 3,319 251 46.09 6,435 51.57 9 12 368 36 37 0
Who is your favorite Test batter under 25 years of age in world cricket currently? Let us know in the comments section.
Source: ProPakistani