Joe Root back at Test rankings top

New Delhi

Joe Root is once again the number one batter in ICC Test rankings after his century at Lord’s helped England win by 22 runs. Root scored 104 and 40 in the third Test, helping England take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. With 888 points, he moved past teammate Harry Brook, who now sits at third place with 862 points. Kane Williamson of New Zealand is second.

At 34, Root is the oldest player to be ranked number one since Kumar Sangakkara in 2014. Australia’s Steve Smith moved up to fourth after scoring 48 runs against West Indies, while Cameron Green jumped 16 places to 29th.

From India, Ravindra Jadeja moved up to 34th, and KL Rahul to 35th after strong performances. Captain Shubman Gill slipped to ninth. Ben Stokes' all-round show lifted him in both batting and bowling rankings.

Jasprit Bumrah remains the top bowler, while Washington Sundar rose to 46th. Australia now has five bowlers in the top 10. West Indies’ Shamar Joseph reached 14th after taking eight wickets. In T20Is, players from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh also gained ranks.