Jasprit Bumrah’s long-standing reign as the No.1 ranked Test bowler has come to an end, with Australia’s Mitchell Starc moving to the top of the ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings for the first time in his career.
Bumrah first reached the No.1 spot in February 2024 and has held on to the position for much of the past two years. However, his absence from India’s ongoing ICC World Test Championship series against Sri Lankacoupled with Starc’s outstanding returns against Bangladesh, has brought a change at the top.
Starc’s match-winning performance in the second Test against Bangladesh in Mackay proved decisive. The left-arm quick claimed 10 wickets in the match, enough to lift him two places in the latest rankings and move him ahead of both Bumrah and New Zealand pacer Matt Henry.
The 36-year-old has now reached the summit for the first time in an international career that has already spanned 15 years. Starc has spent much of that time among the world’s top 10 Test bowlers and recently moved into the top three after a strong run of performances against England in the Ashes towards the end of last year.
But despite his sustained success in the format, the No.1 ranking had remained out of reach until now. Bumrah drops to second, while Henry slips to third following Starc’s rise. There is also movement elsewhere in the Australian bowling attack, with Pat Cummins climbing one place to fourth after taking six wickets in the match against Bangladesh.
Nathan Lyon has also moved up the rankings, rising two places to 10th after his performances in the same series.
England’s Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue are among the biggest gainers in the latest Test bowling rankings after starring in their team’s dominant victory over Pakistan in the first Test at Headingley.
The pair combined to take 16 wickets in Leeds, playing a major role in England’s emphatic win. Robinson has jumped 15 places to 11th, while Tongue has made an even bigger move, climbing 16 spots to 17th in the rankings.
The top of the Test batting rankings remains unchanged, with England’s Harry Brook continuing to hold the No.1 position and Joe Root in second. Australia’s Steve Smith and Travis Head remain third and fourth respectively, with the England pair maintaining a narrow advantage over the Australian duo.
India’s Rishabh Pant is the biggest mover inside the top 10. The left-hander has climbed six places to joint-seventh after his quickfire half-century in the second innings of India’s victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle.
Pant’s rise means he is now level with Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne in seventh, adding another Indian presence to the upper reaches of the Test batting rankings.
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