New Delhi: Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has climbed to the top of the ICC Test bowling rankings for the first time in his career following a match-winning performance against Bangladesh in MacKay.
The 36-year-old left-arm pacer produced a devastating 10-wicket match haul in the second Test of the ICC World Test Championship series, helping Australia register an innings-and-51-run victory.
Starc picked up 6/12 in the first innings and 4/39 in the second, a performance that saw him move past New Zealand’s Matt Henry and India’s Jasprit Bumrah to claim the No. 1 spot. Starc now holds a 10-rating-point advantage at the top.
The Australian was also named both Player of the Match and Player of the Series.
Jasprit Bumrah Loses No. 1 Test Bowling Ranking
Starc’s rise brings an end to Bumrah’s latest two-month spell as the world’s top-ranked Test bowler.
The Indian pacer, however, has spent a combined 697 days at No. 1, the longest by any Indian bowler and the 14th-longest stint overall. Bumrah is currently unavailable for India’s series against Sri Lanka due to injury.
Starc had previously reached a career-high ranking of No. 2, first achieving the position following the Boxing Day Test last year. His performance against Bangladesh has now taken him one step further.
Rishabh Pant Returns To ICC Test Batting Top 10
There was good news for India in the batting rankings, with Rishabh Pant returning to the Test top 10 for the first time in a year.
Pant’s scores of 39 and 66 against Sri Lanka helped him jump six positions to No. 7.
England’s Harry Brook continues to occupy the No. 1 position and has extended his advantage over teammate Joe Root to 24 rating points. Brook scored 90 against Pakistan in Leeds, while Root contributed 66.
India’s KL Rahul also climbed five positions to No. 30, while Devdutt Padikkal re-entered the rankings at No. 59.
Manav Suthar Makes Big Jump After 10-Wicket Haul
Indian left-arm spinner Manav Suthar was among the biggest movers in the latest bowling rankings.
Suthar jumped 28 places to a career-best No. 48 after claiming 10 wickets in India’s 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in the opening Test at Galle.
England’s Ollie Robinson climbed 15 positions to No. 11 after taking eight wickets against Pakistan at Headingley. His teammate Josh Tongue, who also finished with eight wickets, moved up 16 places to No. 17.
Australia spinner Nathan Lyon rose two places to No. 10, while India’s Prasidh Krishna moved up two positions to No. 53.
