The Ncakos316 2025 Test Cricket Awards

Ncakos316
Dec 23, 2025
6 min read

It's been a bumper year for Test cricket. India, England and Australia all played 5 match series against each other, Zimbabwe played a match in England for the first time since 2003, the West Indies were bowled out for 27 against Australia, Wiaan Mulder scored 367* but opted to not chase 400 and the World Test Championship was decided in a tense game at Lord's. There have been some incredible performances with both bat and ball this year and, as I have already done for ODI and T20I cricket, I will now honor those performances here.

Men's Test Batter of the Year 2025

Shubman Gill (India)

With 5 centuries at an average of 70.21 it really could not have been anyone else. After a solid 2024 in which he averaged 43 with the bat, Shubman Gill took his game to another level in 2025. Handed the captaincy in May after Rohit Sharma's retirement, Gill led from the front in the Anderson-Tendulkar series where he scored 4 centuries on his way to a series tally of 754 runs. His 147 at Leeds was followed up by 269 and 161 at Birmingham in one of the greatest displays of batting seen in recent years. Another century followed in Manchester before India managed to draw the series in a nailbiter at The Oval.

Another century followed against the West Indies in Delhi before he was unfortunately injured in the lost series against South Africa. Gill has shown that his batting will not be hampered by the added responsibility of being captain and will be looking to turn India's fortunes around in 2026 after some lackluster results in 2025.

Shubman Gill (photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Men's Test Bowler of the Year 2025

Mitchell Starc (Australia)

You would think that, at 35 years of age, Mitchell Starc would have started to slow down a bit. Well, you would be majorly wrong for thinking that as Starc has taken his bowling to even greater heights in 2025. At the time of writing, he has taken 51 wickets at an average of 17.15 and strike rate of 28.7. On his way to these wickets he has surpassed Wasim Akram as the all-time leading wicket-taker amongst left arm fast bowlers and only has Rangana Herath ahead of him in terms of left arm bowlers.

In the ongoing Ashes series he has taken 22 wickets in the first 3 tests with his performances in Perth and Brisbane blowing England away, ensuring the Ashes were retained. In half the innings in which Starc has bowled in 2025, he has taken 3 or more wickets and has a best of 7/58 to go with 6/9 against the West Indies and 6/75 against England. He is an incredible bowler and only seems to be getting better.

Mitchell Starc (AFP via Getty Images/photo by: Saeed Khan)

Men's Test All-Rounder of the Year 2025

Senuran Muthusamy (South Africa)

This choice may surprise a few (including me, being one of the biggest critics of his selection) but it is tough to name a player who has had a bigger impact for his side in 2025 than Senuran Muthusamy. The crazy thing is, he has only played 4 matches. However, in these matches Muthusamy has proved all his detractors wrong and is fast becoming a vital cog in the Proteas machine. Selected against Zimbabwe back in July, Muthusamy took 4 wickets but probably did not bowl as well as he can.

He was then selected in the squad for the tour to Pakistan and India but, being selected alongside Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj, it was expected that he would not bowl as much and be used as more of a batting all-rounder. However, in the first match against Pakistan in Lahore, Muthusamy was called on to bowl and returned match figures of 11/174 including a 6 and 5 wicket haul. He only bowled 8 overs in the 2nd test at Rawalpindi but scored a crucial 89* which included a 98 run stand with Kagiso Rabada. South Africa would go on to win the match and draw the series with Muthusamy being named player of the series.

Things got even better for Muthusamy against India. After not being selected for the first test in Kolkata, Muthusamy scored a sensational 109 after coming in at 5/201, forming crucial partnerships with both Kyle Verreynne and Marco Jansen to ensure South Africa set a massive first innings total of 489 which India just couldn't match. South Africa would go on to win the match and, in doing so, claim their first series win in India since 2000.

Men's Test Match of the Year 2025

Australia v South Africa (WTC Final, Lord's)

This was a difficult choice as I could have easily given this award to the 5th test between England and India at The Oval where India barely managed to snatch victory and draw the series. However, the World Test Championship Final had so much meaning behind it. Not just for Protea fans seeing their country in its second major final in a year but also for Australians who were looking to go back-to-back in the WTC.

The scene was set at Lord's with thousands of fans from both countries flocking to cricket's Mecca to witness a final between two of the sport's biggest rivals. South Africa were in the final courtesy of having won 7 matches in a row in series victories over the West Indies, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. This after controversially sending a weakened test side to New Zealand, opting to strengthen the first season of the new local T20 tournament. On the other side of things, Australia powered through to the final with a drawn Ashes series followed by victories against Pakistan, New Zealand, India and Sri Lanka. There was a lot of talk before the game of South Africa's seemingly easy route to the final and that the WTC Mace would be easily retained by Australia, but the naysayers were soon to be proven wrong by an inspired South African side led by the indomitable Temba Bavuma.

The toss was won by Bavuma who opted to bowl in conditions that would suit the pace-heavy South African attack and this proved to be the case as Australia were reduced to 212 all out. Only Beau Webster and Steve Smith, with a partnership of 79 offered any resistance as Kagiso Rabada took 5/51 along with 3/49 by Marco Jansen. Australia, though, were not out of it yet as their own world-class pace bowlers tore through South Africa's batting lineup with sheer brutality. Captain Pat Cummins took 6 wickets just as he had done 14 years ago at the Wanderers on debut to reduce South Africa to a disappointing 138.

With a lead of 74, Australia were in full control of the match but an inspired South African bowling attack were not finished yet. Rabada, Jansen and Ngidi came out with intent to reduce the Australians to 7/73 before Alex Carey (43) and Mitchell Starc (58*) gave the Australian total of 207 some respectability. This left South Africa with a 4th innings chase of 282, a tall order against an Australian attack that had blown them away in the 1st innings. Things did not start well for South Africa, losing Rickelton early, but Wiaan Mulder and Aiden Markram steadied the ship before Mulder was dismissed by Starc for a well played 27. Markram continued on his merry way and was involved in a 147 run partnership with captain Bavuma who scored 66 runs of his own. Aiden Markram brought his century up off 156 balls but was later dismissed by Josh Hazlewood for 136. This innings by Markram was one of the best I have personally seen any South African play and rightly earned him the player of the match award. Kyle Verreynne joined David Bedingham at the crease and hit the winning runs off Starc as South Africa won their first ICC trophy since the 1998 ICC Knockout, ending years of heartache for South African fans who had, time and time again, seen their side come up short when it mattered most.

The victory was the cherry on top for a team who had come through some serious disappointments in the years leading up to it. Being bowled out for 55 against India in Cape Town in 2024 and sending a weakened side led by Neil Brand to New Zealand had made it seem as though the Proteas were a side crumbling apart. But led by the duo of Temba Bavuma, one of the great test captains, and coach Shukri Conrad, South Africa turned it around and brought joy to millions of South Africans watching from home.