England’s Joe Root has replaced Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne in top spot on the latest ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings.
Labuschagne held the premier position for just over six months, with the right-hander rising to the top in December last year on the back of a strong start to the Australian summer against the West Indies.
But a slow start to 2023 coupled with Root’s 30th Test century against Australia in the dramatic first Ashes Test at Edgbaston has seen a major shakeup at the top of the batter rankings.
Root managed scores of 118 not out and 46 in a losing cause during the first Ashes Test in Birmingham saw the 32-year-old rise a massive five places and regain his place as the No.1 ranked Test batter in the world.
Labuschagne drops to third as a result of scores of 0 and 13 against England, with Kiwi veteran Kane Williamson jumping two places to second overall.
Fellow Australians Travis Head (down one place to fourth) and Steve Smith (drops four spots to sixth) also lost ground in the race to become the top ranked batter.
Australia opener Usman Khawaja was adjudged Player of the Match for his heroics against England and rose to a new career best rating and seventh place overall, while young gun Harry Brook also earned the highest mark of his short Test career by jumping five places to 13th on the latest Test rankings.
There wasn’t nearly as much movement in the updated rankings for bowlers, with India’s spinner Ravichandran Ashwin maintaining his lead over England veteran James Anderson, South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada and Australia captain Pat Cummins at the head of the list.
England duo Ollie Robinson and Stuart Broad both rise one place inside the top 10 The ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier saw some minor changes to the latest ODI rankings, with Oman captain Zeeshan Maqsood improving two places to third overall on the updated list for all-rounders.
