In a major change in the latest ICC Test rankings for the batters, the former English captain Joe Root jumped to the second position after an impressive performance in the recent Ashes 2023. Australian batter Steve Smith also gained in the rankings but shockingly the Indian captain Rohit Sharma slipped to 10th place despite scoring 240 runs in three Test innings against West Indies last month.
Joe Root scored 412 runs in nine Ashes 2023 innings at an average of 51.50 with the help of one century and two fifties. He was England’s second-highest leading run-scorer in the home series and also contributed with six wickets to help his team level the series after falling behind by 2-0. Root also gained a position in the ICC Test all-rounder’s chart to rise to sixth place.
Root replaced Australia’s batter Marnus Labuschagne to claim the second ranking in the batter’s chart with a rating of 859. New Zealand’s injured star Kane Williamson remains at the top in the batter’s chart with 883 ratings despite not batting since May 2023. Steve Smith also gained two places after scoring only 373 runs in 10 innings in the recent Ashes.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam rises to fourth position after below average performance in the recent 2-0 series win against Sri Lanka. Labuschagne slipped to fifth place after scoring 328 runs in the recent Ashes 2023.
In bowling, India’s Ravichandran Ashwin comfortably tops the ICC Test rankings while his spin partner Ravindra Jadeja climbed two places to claim third rankings. South Africa’s star pacer Kagiso Rabada remains in the second position as the top-ranked pacer in the ICC Test bowler’s chart.
Recently retired English pacer Stuart Broad rises to the fourth position in the bowlers’ chart after taking 22 wickets in the recent Ashes. But the veteran pacer James Anderson slipped to eighth rankings after getting only five wickets in eight innings against England.
