ICC test rankings: English and Aussie players climb as India sees decline

WEB DESK: In the latest batch of International Cricket Council (ICC) test rankings released on Wednesday, English, Australian, and Indian players saw some fluctuation.

Team Rankings

Australia remains at the top of the test world after whitewashing West Indies in their three-match series. Below them is South Africa in second, and England, who recently took a 2-1 series lead against India in their five-match test affair, round out the top three.

Batting Rankings

In the batting rankings, Joe Root took the top spot, while compatriot Harry Brook fell two places to third. In the third test against India, Brook made a total of 34 runs across both innings, while Root scored a ton in the first, and 40 in the second. Sandwiched in between is Kiwi Kane Williamson.

Australia’s Steve Smith also rose one spot into fourth. He scored a total of 127 runs in the two tests he played. India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant both fell one place each, with the two now occupying fifth and eight place, respectively. Jaiswal only managed to score 13 runs in the third test against England, with his second inning knock ending on the seventh ball he faced, as he was sent off for a duck. Pant fared better, scoring 74 in the first innings, but only nine in the second.

Skipper Shubman Gill also fell in the rankings, losing three places which dropped him down to ninth. Gill only managed to score 22 runs across both innings.

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Bowling Rankings

Jasprit Bumrah retains the top spot this week, as he continued to dominate, taking a total of seven wickets in the third test against England, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings. Right below him is Kagiso Rabada, with Pat Cummins close behind rounding out the top three. Cummins took a total of eight wickets in the three-match series against The Windies.

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Josh Hazlewood, who took a total of 14 wickets across the three matches against the West Indies, is still ranked fourth. Two places below him is Scott Boland, who rose six rankings after taking six wickets in the final test, which including a hat trick in the 14th over of the second innings. Mitchell Starc is ranked 10th, after taking 15 wickets in the series, and close behind is The Windies’ Jayden Seales, who took 13 wickets in the series but dropped two places. Notably, Shamar Joseph rose 15 places, after a fantastic series performance which saw him lead all players in wickets taken with 22.

All-rounder Rankings

Ravindra Jadeja remains the top test allrounder. In the third test against England, he scored 72 runs in the first innings, and an unbeaten 61 in the second. Cummins rose one place to fourth, while compatriot Mitchell Starc rose two places to eight. The Windies’ Jason Holder dropped two places to ninth.

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