In a significant shift in the ICC Rankings for men’s Test batters, Joe Root has surpassed Marnus Labuschagne to claim the No. 1 spot. Root’s exceptional batting performance in the first Ashes Test against Australia at Edgbaston propelled him to the top position, dethroning Labuschagne who held the spot for over six months.
Root’s magnificent form continued as he notched an unbeaten 121 in the first innings of the Ashes series opener. Despite contributing 46 runs in the second innings, England couldn’t secure a victory, as Australia clinched a thrilling two-wicket win on June 20.
Nevertheless, Root’s consistency with the bat earned him the coveted top rank, amassing 887 points. Labuschagne’s poor start to the Ashes campaign, being dismissed for 0 and 13, resulted in his drop to No. 3, with New Zealand captain Kane Williamson taking the second spot.
ALSO READ: ICC Imposes Penalties on England And Australia For Slow Over-Rates: WTC Points Deducted
Travis Head, who scored a fifty in the first innings at Edgbaston, slipped to No. 4 in the rankings, while Steve Smith experienced a four-place drop following his underwhelming performance in the first Ashes Test. Smith managed scores of 16 and 6, failing to live up to expectations after his century against India in the WTC 2023 final.
ICC Test Rankings for Batters (As of June 21, 2023)
- Joe Root – 887 points
- Kane Williamson – 883
- Marnus Labuschagne – 877
- Travis Head – 873
- Babar Azam – 862
- Steve Smith – 861
- Usman Khawaja – 836
- Daryl Mitchell – 792
- Dimuth Karunaratne – 780
- Rishabh Pant – 758
The race for the top spot is closely contested, with a mere 26-point difference between No. 1-ranked Root and No. 6-ranked Smith.
Australia opener Usman Khawaja, recognized as the Player of the Match for his remarkable display against England, attained a new career-best rating and secured the seventh spot overall. Young talent Harry Brook also achieved his highest ranking in Tests, climbing five places to 13th.
ALSO READ: AB de Villiers Applauds England’s “Bazball” Approach In Test Cricket
Rishabh Pant, despite not having played competitive cricket since December 2022, retained his 10th position, while Virat Kohli dropped a spot to No. 14.
Meanwhile, R Ashwin, who didn’t participate in the WTC final, maintained his reign as the top-ranked bowler in the ICC Test Rankings. Ollie Robinson and Stuart Broad each climbed one spot to enter the top 10, while Moeen Ali, who returned from retirement to play in Birmingham, reentered the rankings at 52nd place.
