England’s star batter Joe Root is back on top of the ICC men’s Test rankings, just a week after losing the spot. His impressive knocks of 104 and 40 in the third Test against India at Lord’s, where England secured a 22-run win, helped him reclaim the No. 1 position. This marks the eighth time Root has reached the top of the Test rankings.
Joe Root Reclaims No. 1 Test Batter Spot
At 34, he is now the oldest player to hold the top spot since Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara did it at age 37 back in 2014. Root had recently been overtaken by fellow England teammate Harry Brook, but Brook has now slipped to third place behind New Zealand’s Kane Williamson.
Ravindra Jadeja Climbs the Ranks with All-Round Brilliance
Meanwhile, India’s all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also climbed up the rankings, moving to the 34th spot in the latest update released on Wednesday.
Among Indian batters, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and vice-captain Rishabh Pant have each slipped one spot in the ICC Test rankings. Jaiswal is now in fifth place, while Pant sits in eighth. Team captain Shubman Gill has also dropped three places, landing in ninth.
KL Rahul Makes a Strong Return
On a brighter note, Ravindra Jadeja has jumped five spots to reach 34th in the rankings after scoring 72 and a gritty unbeaten 61 at Lord’s. KL Rahul also impressed in the same match with scores of 100 and 39, which helped him climb five places to 35th, just one spot behind Jadeja.
England skipper Ben Stokes had a standout performance at Lord’s, earning the Player of the Match award for his 77 runs and five wickets. His efforts have moved him up two places to 42nd among batters and up one spot to 45th in the bowling rankings.
Jasprit Bumrah Firmly Holds No. 1 Bowler Spot
India’s pace ace Jasprit Bumrah continues to lead the ICC Test bowling rankings in style, holding on to the No. 1 spot with a strong 50-point lead over South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada.
Australia’s Scott Boland has made a big leap, jumping six places to a career-best sixth position. Boland’s incredible average of 16.53 for his 62 Test wickets puts him in elite company, as only ICC Hall of Famers George Lohmann and Sydney Barnes have taken wickets at a better average.
Boland now joins four other Aussie bowlers: Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, and Mitchell Starc in the top 10. This kind of dominance hasn’t been seen since 1958, when England had six bowlers ranked in the top 12.
Meanwhile, India’s Washington Sundar has also made progress, climbing from 58th to 46th in the latest rankings update.
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