Industry Odisha Bureau, Aug 26: Australia’s Mitchell Starc has become the No. 1 bowler in the latest ICC Men’s Test Rankings. With this, Jasprit Bumrah’s long stay at the top has come to an end. Notably, Bumrah had held the position for much of the period since February 2024 but has now slipped to second.
Starc’s rise followed his outstanding performance against Bangladesh in the second Test at Mackay, where he claimed a 10-wicket match haul. The 36-year old left arm pacer climbed two places to move ahead of both Bumrah and New Zealand’s Matt Henry, who is now third.
The milestone comes after years of Starc consistently featuring among the world’s leading Test bowlers. He had recently broken into the top three following his strong performances during the Ashes against England.
Australia captain Pat Cummins also moved up the rankings, reaching fourth after taking six wickets in Mackay. Veteran spinner Nathan Lyon climbed two places to return to the top 10 at No. 10.
Further, England’s Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue were among the biggest movers after their impressive performances against Pakistan at Headingley. Robinson jumped 15 places to 11th, while Tongue rose 16 spots to 17th after the pair shared 16 wickets.
Meanwhile, there was less movement at the top of the batting rankings in the latest ICC Test Rankings. England’s Harry Brook remains No. 1, followed by Joe Root. Australia’s Steve Smith and Travis Head occupy third and fourth position, respectively.
India’s Rishabh Pant climbed six places to joint seventh after his counter attacking half century against Sri Lanka at Galle, drawing level with Marnus Labuschagne.
