Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
There simply couldn’t be anyone else batting at No.3 other than Kane Williamson. Bar monumental Boxing Day Tests from Steve Smith, Joe Root or AB de Villiers,
Williamson will finish 2015 ranked as the world’s best batsman, exactly where he deserves to be after scoring 1172 runs at an average of 90.15 for the year.
In just eight Tests Williamson tallied five centuries and four half-centuries, bringing up hundreds against England, Australia and Sri Lanka. After scoring 428 runs at an average of 85.60 in Australia, Williamson returned home to slay Sri Lanka, making scores of 88, 71, 1 and 108 not out over the two Test series. The last of those innings was arguably his finest of the year, scoring a stylish century at a strike rate of 65.85 in the fourth innings.
Steve Smith (Australia)
Steve Smith split his year between first drop and second drop and thanks to the form of Williamson it’s No.4 he will bat at in our 2015 Test XI.
Heading into the Boxing Day Test
Smith sits fourth on the run-scoring charts for 2015 with 1270 runs at an average of 63.50 with five centuries and four half-centuries to his name. Smith started the year on fire, making scores of 117 and 71 against India in the New Year’s Test, and then made the transition to first drop look easy with a then-career high score of 199 against the West Indies in June.
The talented right-hander had an up-and-down Ashes series, making a high score of 33 during Australia’s three defeats but a double ton, a hundred and a half-century during the team’s two wins, indicative of how important he had become to the side in a short period of time.
www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/team-of-the...frf3g3-1227685536870 
