Jos Buttler (12th man, wicketkeeper-batsman, England): Buttler nearly did not play Test matches this year. Had it not been for his impressive performances in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition this year, he may not have been selected to feature in the Test series thereafter. But he was, and he shone brilliantly with the bat - especially at home against the mighty Indian bowling attack. He has scored 760 runs in 18 innings, hitting one hundred and six fifties. He does not make this XI, but he has been picked as a back-up wicketkeeper and a back-up middle-order batsman. Ishara Kodikara / AFP
Dimuth Karunaratne (opening, Sri Lanka): Even as Sri Lanka have endured a difficult year on and off the field, Karunaratne has managed to bring some cheer to the island nation with his individual success at the top of the order. In fact, the 30-year-old left-hander has been the most successful opening batsman in Tests in 2018. He has scored 743 runs in 16 innings, including a hundred and seven fifties. Marty Melville / AFP
Aiden Markram (vice captain, opening, South Africa): The right-hander is by far the most promising batting talent to emerge from the Cape of Good Hope. Markram was superb when India came visiting early in 2018, and he has continued a consistent run with the bat throughout the year. The 24 year old has scored 672 runs in 19 innings - not counting the ongoing Centurion Test against Pakistan - stroking two hundreds and as many fifties. Lee Warren / Getty Images
Kusal Mendis (top order, Sri Lanka): Another player to have risen above the fray and done some serious work on and off the pitch for Sri Lanka. Mendis is the classiest, most gifted batsman to represent the island nation at the moment. Dropped in the recent past, the 23-year-old one-down batsman is second only to India's Virat Kohli in the 2018 Test run charts. Mendis has scored 956 runs in 22 innings, including three hundreds and three fifties. Mark Baker / AP Photo
Virat Kohli (middle order, India): No batsman has scored more runs in Test cricket this year as has the India captain. Kohli has aggregated 1,322 runs in 23 innings, studded with five centuries and five half-centuries, not counting the ongoing Melbourne Test. The 30 year old made a huge personal breakthrough by scoring his first Test hundred in England, against the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Michael Dodge / Getty Images
Joe Root (captain, middle order, England): England's No 1 batsman and captain of the Test side had a brilliant year both with the bat and as a leader. The right-hander hit 948 runs in 24 innings, stroking two hundreds and six fifties. His best knock has to be the century he notched in the Pallekele Test against Sri Lanka. Root has been named captain for his series successes against India and Sri Lanka. Reuters
Ben Stokes (all-rounder, England): A controversial choice given that he spent some of his time in court after being charged with affray. But the fact he is cleared means he gets a spot in the side. After all, is there an all-rounder as dynamic and mercurial in the world as Stokes at the moment? The answer is no. Stokes' ability to change the course of a game with both bat and ball means he walks into any line-up these days. He has scored 537 runs and taken 22 wickets in Tests this year. Gareth Copley / Getty Images
Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper, South Africa): De Kock will perhaps be remembered as the player who indirectly - and unwittingly - changed the course of Australian cricket (yes, you read that right). Had the Proteas stumper not allegedly provoked Australia opener David Warner early in their home series, perhaps 'Sandpapergate' would not have happened. This is speculation, of course. What is not conjecture, however, is his contribution to the Proteas Test fortunes in 2018. He scored just 392 runs in 18 innings (not counting the Centurion game), but he has been the most successful keeper this year, taking 47 dismissals. Siphiwe Sibeko / Reuters
Kagiso Rabada (fast bowler, South Africa): Rabada is hands down the most promising fast bowler in international cricket today. Not only does he already have 151 Test wickets to his name, but he has taken 52 of them in 2018 alone. He is the most successful bowler this year and for that, he walks into this XI without a fuss. Rabada's aggression in the middle is not only entertaining to the viewers, but it has become a handy weapon against the best batsmen in the world. Sydney Seshibedi / Getty Images
Mohammed Shami (fast bowler, India): Like Rabada a right-armer, Shami could however not be more different than the South African. The Indian relies more on swing and line-length than pace and bounce. He also comes across as a more gentle character on the field, preferring to let his bowling do the talking. Shami's success Down Under has given his team a chance to win their first ever Test series there, and he has taken 44 wickets in 2018 (not counting the Melbourne Test). Richard Wainwright / Reuters
Nathan Lyon (off-spinner, Australia): Lyon may be slightly fortunate to make the XI - ahead of fellow off-break bowler, Sri Lanka's Dilruwan Perera - because the former had up until this week taken one more wicket than his Australian counterpart. But in the interest of having an even spread of players from across the world, Lyon makes the cut. The fact he has taken 49 wickets - not counting the Melbourne Test - from 10 Tests may be enough for him to get into this side. But what is impressive is the way he has troubled the Indian batsmen, who are usually good against slow bowling. Hamish Blair / EPA
Yasir Shah (leg-spinner, Pakistan): Another reason Perera misses out on a place in the XI is the need to have a varied bowling attack. And there has not been a better leg-spinner in Test cricket in 2018 as Pakistan's Yasir Shah. Yasir would be the perfect foil for Lyon. He celebrated taking his 200th wicket against New Zealand in Dubai this year, and has taken an impressive 37 wickets from just six matches. One wonders then how many he would have taken had he played as many games as Lyon and Perera. AFP
Jos Buttler (12th man, wicketkeeper-batsman, England): Buttler nearly did not play Test matches this year. Had it not been for his impressive performances in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition this year, he may not have been selected to feature in the Test series thereafter. But he was, and he shone brilliantly with the bat - especially at home against the mighty Indian bowling attack. He has scored 760 runs in 18 innings, hitting one hundred and six fifties. He does not make this XI, but he has been picked as a back-up wicketkeeper and a back-up middle-order batsman. Ishara Kodikara / AFP
Dimuth Karunaratne (opening, Sri Lanka): Even as Sri Lanka have endured a difficult year on and off the field, Karunaratne has managed to bring some cheer to the island nation with his individual success at the top of the order. In fact, the 30-year-old left-hander has been the most successful opening batsman in Tests in 2018. He has scored 743 runs in 16 innings, including a hundred and seven fifties. Marty Melville / AFP
Aiden Markram (vice captain, opening, South Africa): The right-hander is by far the most promising batting talent to emerge from the Cape of Good Hope. Markram was superb when India came visiting early in 2018, and he has continued a consistent run with the bat throughout the year. The 24 year old has scored 672 runs in 19 innings - not counting the ongoing Centurion Test against Pakistan - stroking two hundreds and as many fifties. Lee Warren / Getty Images
Kusal Mendis (top order, Sri Lanka): Another player to have risen above the fray and done some serious work on and off the pitch for Sri Lanka. Mendis is the classiest, most gifted batsman to represent the island nation at the moment. Dropped in the recent past, the 23-year-old one-down batsman is second only to India's Virat Kohli in the 2018 Test run charts. Mendis has scored 956 runs in 22 innings, including three hundreds and three fifties. Mark Baker / AP Photo
Virat Kohli (middle order, India): No batsman has scored more runs in Test cricket this year as has the India captain. Kohli has aggregated 1,322 runs in 23 innings, studded with five centuries and five half-centuries, not counting the ongoing Melbourne Test. The 30 year old made a huge personal breakthrough by scoring his first Test hundred in England, against the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Michael Dodge / Getty Images
Joe Root (captain, middle order, England): England's No 1 batsman and captain of the Test side had a brilliant year both with the bat and as a leader. The right-hander hit 948 runs in 24 innings, stroking two hundreds and six fifties. His best knock has to be the century he notched in the Pallekele Test against Sri Lanka. Root has been named captain for his series successes against India and Sri Lanka. Reuters
Ben Stokes (all-rounder, England): A controversial choice given that he spent some of his time in court after being charged with affray. But the fact he is cleared means he gets a spot in the side. After all, is there an all-rounder as dynamic and mercurial in the world as Stokes at the moment? The answer is no. Stokes' ability to change the course of a game with both bat and ball means he walks into any line-up these days. He has scored 537 runs and taken 22 wickets in Tests this year. Gareth Copley / Getty Images
Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper, South Africa): De Kock will perhaps be remembered as the player who indirectly - and unwittingly - changed the course of Australian cricket (yes, you read that right). Had the Proteas stumper not allegedly provoked Australia opener David Warner early in their home series, perhaps 'Sandpapergate' would not have happened. This is speculation, of course. What is not conjecture, however, is his contribution to the Proteas Test fortunes in 2018. He scored just 392 runs in 18 innings (not counting the Centurion game), but he has been the most successful keeper this year, taking 47 dismissals. Siphiwe Sibeko / Reuters
Kagiso Rabada (fast bowler, South Africa): Rabada is hands down the most promising fast bowler in international cricket today. Not only does he already have 151 Test wickets to his name, but he has taken 52 of them in 2018 alone. He is the most successful bowler this year and for that, he walks into this XI without a fuss. Rabada's aggression in the middle is not only entertaining to the viewers, but it has become a handy weapon against the best batsmen in the world. Sydney Seshibedi / Getty Images
Mohammed Shami (fast bowler, India): Like Rabada a right-armer, Shami could however not be more different than the South African. The Indian relies more on swing and line-length than pace and bounce. He also comes across as a more gentle character on the field, preferring to let his bowling do the talking. Shami's success Down Under has given his team a chance to win their first ever Test series there, and he has taken 44 wickets in 2018 (not counting the Melbourne Test). Richard Wainwright / Reuters
Nathan Lyon (off-spinner, Australia): Lyon may be slightly fortunate to make the XI - ahead of fellow off-break bowler, Sri Lanka's Dilruwan Perera - because the former had up until this week taken one more wicket than his Australian counterpart. But in the interest of having an even spread of players from across the world, Lyon makes the cut. The fact he has taken 49 wickets - not counting the Melbourne Test - from 10 Tests may be enough for him to get into this side. But what is impressive is the way he has troubled the Indian batsmen, who are usually good against slow bowling. Hamish Blair / EPA
Yasir Shah (leg-spinner, Pakistan): Another reason Perera misses out on a place in the XI is the need to have a varied bowling attack. And there has not been a better leg-spinner in Test cricket in 2018 as Pakistan's Yasir Shah. Yasir would be the perfect foil for Lyon. He celebrated taking his 200th wicket against New Zealand in Dubai this year, and has taken an impressive 37 wickets from just six matches. One wonders then how many he would have taken had he played as many games as Lyon and Perera. AFP
Jos Buttler (12th man, wicketkeeper-batsman, England): Buttler nearly did not play Test matches this year. Had it not been for his impressive performances in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition this year, he may not have been selected to feature in the Test series thereafter. But he was, and he shone brilliantly with the bat - especially at home against the mighty Indian bowling attack. He has scored 760 runs in 18 innings, hitting one hundred and six fifties. He does not make this XI, but he has been picked as a back-up wicketkeeper and a back-up middle-order batsman. Ishara Kodikara / AFP
