Mitchell Starc reaches No. 1 in ICC Test Bowling rankings, dethroning Jasprit Bumrah

Mitchell Starc and Jasprit Bumrah (File Pic)

Australian left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc has risen to the No. 1 position in the ICC Test bowling rankings for the first time in his career. This achievement brings an end to Jasprit Bumrah's stay at the top following Starc's match-winning performance during Australia's recent two-Test series against Bangladesh.

Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah initially secured the top spot in February 2024 and maintained his hold over the top rank for most of the following two years. However, Bumrah's withdrawal from India's current ICC World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka, along with Starc's Player of the Series performance against Bangladesh, changed the standings at the top of the bowling rankings.

Starc's ten-wicket haul in the second Test at Mackay took the 36-year-old up two places. He crossed both Bumrah and New Zealand seam bowler Matt Henry to achieve the top ranking. Throughout a 15-year Test career spent mainly within the top ten, Starc had previously reached the top three but had not held the top rank.

Starc on top as Bumrah drops back

Following Starc's rise to the top, Bumrah dropped to second place while Henry slipped to third. Australian captain Pat Cummins moved to fourth spot after taking six wickets against Bangladesh, and Nathan Lyon moved up two positions into tenth place after his performance against Bangladesh.

England pace duo Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue received a major boost following their contributions to a victory over Pakistan at Headingley. The pair took 16 wickets combined, taking Robinson 15 spots to 11th and moving Tongue up 16 places to 17th.

The upper level of the Test batting rankings remained unchanged, with England's Harry Brook and Joe Root holding the first and second positions, followed by Australia's Steve Smith and Travis Head in third and fourth.

India's Rishabh Pant made the largest jump within the top ten batters, rising six places to joint seventh following a second-innings half-century against Sri Lanka in Galle. Lower down, Cameron Green, Dhananjaya de Silva, Abdullah Shafique, and KL Rahul also registered a rise in the rankings. Ravindra Jadeja maintained his position as the top-ranked Test all-rounder after his impressive performance against Sri Lanka.