Jasprit Bumrah has held onto his position as the world’s top Test bowler, while England’s Joe Root has reclaimed the No.1 spot in the batting rankings.
Bumrah Leads a Star-Studded Bowling List
India’s pace sensation, Jasprit Bumrah, continues to dominate the ICC Test bowlers’ rankings, securing the top spot once again. This comes despite a strong surge from Australian bowlers, who now populate half of the top 10.
South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada sits in second place, followed by his teammate Marco Jansen, Pakistan’s Noman Ali, and New Zealand’s Matt Henry. These are the only non-Australian names currently in the elite top 10.
Australian Bowlers Take Over
The reigning ICC World Test Championship victors, Australia, have an unprecedented five bowlers in the top 10. This is the first time such a feat has been achieved since England had six bowlers among the top 12 back in 1958.
Fast bowler Scott Boland made a significant leap, climbing six spots to achieve a career-best sixth place. The other dominant Australians include captain Pat Cummins (3rd), Josh Hazlewood (4th), Nathan Lyon (8th), and Mitchell Starc (10th).
Starc’s recent exceptional performance, where he took 6 wickets for just 9 runs in his 100th Test, was instrumental in bundling out West Indies for a remarkably low 27 runs, showcasing Australia’s bowling might.
Joe Root Returns to Batting Summit
England’s cricketing maestro, Joe Root, has once again ascended to the top of the men’s Test batting rankings. His impressive scores of 104 and 40 in the third Test against India at Lord’s paved the way for his eighth stint at the summit.
At 34 years old, Root is now the oldest player to hold the No.1 Test batter ranking since Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara, who was 37 when he last held the position in December 2014. Root had previously lost his top spot to compatriot Harry Brook, who has now slipped behind Kane Williamson to third place.
Shifts for Indian Batters
Among the Indian contingent, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and vice-captain Rishabh Pant have seen a slight drop in their rankings, now placed fifth and eighth respectively. Captain Shubman Gill also moved down three spots to ninth.
Ravindra Jadeja’s strong batting performances, including scores of 72 and a resilient 61 not out at Lord’s, have significantly boosted his ranking by five places to 34th among batters. KL Rahul, Jaiswal’s opening partner, also climbed five spots and now sits just behind Jadeja at 35th.
England captain Ben Stokes, for his all-round heroics of 77 runs and five wickets at Lord’s, moved up two places to 42nd in the batting rankings and one spot to 45th among bowlers.
- Jasprit Bumrah retains his No.1 spot in Test bowling.
- Five Australian bowlers are now in the top 10, a rare feat.
- Joe Root returns to the No.1 Test batting ranking for his eighth time.
- Root is the oldest No.1 Test batter in nearly a decade.
- Indian batters Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Shubman Gill see slight drops.
These latest rankings highlight the dynamic nature of Test cricket, with players constantly vying for the top spots through consistent performances on the world stage.
