ICC Rankings: Starc dethrones Bumrah as No.1 Test bowler; Pant rises to joint seventh among batters

Dubai, Aug 26 (IANS) Australia pacer Mitchell Starc has dethroned India’s Jasprit Bumrah to claim the No.1 spot in the latest ICC Test Bowler Rankings, released on Wednesday, while Rishabh Pant climbed six places to tie for seventh among Test batters.

Starc’s rise to the top followed his dominant performance against Bangladesh in the second Test in Mackay, where the left-arm pacer took 10 wickets in the match. The effort helped the 36-year-old climb two places, move past Bumrah and New Zealand’s Matt Henry, and become the top-ranked Test bowler for the first time in his career.

Bumrah, who first reached the No.1 position in February 2024 and had held it for much of the past two years, dropped to second, while Henry slipped to third.

Bumrah’s absence from India’s ongoing ICC World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka, together with Starc’s Player of the Series-winning performance against Bangladesh, contributed to the change at the top.

Starc has spent much of his 15-year Test career in the top 10 and moved into the top three after strong performances against England in the Ashes towards the end of last year. However, he had never previously reached the No.1 position.

Among other Australian bowlers, Pat Cummins moved up one place to fourth after taking six wickets in the match against Bangladesh, while spinner Nathan Lyon rose two places to 10th.

India’s Pant was the biggest mover in the top 10 of the Test batter rankings. The left-hander climbed six places to equal seventh after his quickfire half-century in the second innings of India’s victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle.

The top two positions remain unchanged, with England’s Harry Brook and Joe Root in first and second, while Australia’s Steve Smith and Travis Head are third and fourth.

Other Indian batters also made gains. KL Rahul climbed five places to 30th, while Pant’s rise highlighted India’s movement inside the top 10.

Outside the top 10, Australia all-rounder Cameron Green moved up nine places to 21st, Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva rose two spots to equal 22nd, and Pakistan’s Abdullah Shafique climbed seven places to equal 27th.

England’s Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue also made significant gains in the Test bowler rankings following their match-winning performances against Pakistan in the first Test at Headingley. The pair combined for 16 wickets in the one-sided contest in Leeds, with Robinson jumping 15 places to 11th and Tongue climbing 16 spots to 17th.

The Test all-rounder rankings remain unchanged at the top, with India veteran Ravindra Jadeja retaining the No.1 position.

Cummins moved up one place to seventh, Green climbed one spot to equal 17th, while Robinson rose five places to 23rd in the all-rounder rankings.

–IANS

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