Joe Root dethrones Marnus Labuschagne as No.1 Test batter following exquisite Edgbaston ton

Ollie Robinson’s match haul of five wickets against Australia saw him get to the fifth spot in the ICC Test Bowling Rankings.

Published - 21 Jun 2023, 16:06 IST | Updated - 21 Jun 2023, 16:48 IST

12 Min Read

After a six-month reign as the No.1 Test batter in the ICC Rankings, Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne was dislodged from the top spot by England star batter Joe Root. The rankings saw a major shakeup at the top following the conclusion of the dramatic first Ashes Test, played at the Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Labuschagne took the premier spot in December 2022 on the back of commanding performances with the bat. However, an underwhelming start to 2023 coupled with Test specialist Root’s recent performances has seen the latter claim the No. 1 spot in the rankings.

In the recently concluded first Ashes Test, Root compiled scores of an unbeaten 118 and a second innings score of 46 runs. In the process, the flamboyant right-hander notched up his 30^th Test century to take the crown of the No.1 batter in the ICC Test rankings.

On the other hand, Labuschagne, who returned dismal scores of 0 and 13 against the English side, saw him drop two places to the third spot with 877 rating points. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson claimed second place in the updated rankings.

Steve Smith and Travis Head drop down in ICC rankings

In addition to Labuschagne, Travis Head too slipped from third to fourth place, despite getting a fifty in his account against England. Steve Smith, too, saw a massive dip in the rankings as he moved to the sixth position from the second place, with scores of 16 and six runs at Edgbaston.

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam saw no change in his position as he continues to stand in fifth place with 862 rating points. The Test bowling rankings did not see many changes, as Ravichandran Ashwin and seasoned pacer James Anderson kept their first and second spot, respectively.

However, Ollie Robinson’s match haul of five wickets against Australia saw him get to the fifth spot. Despite a four-wicket haul, skipper Pat Cummins slipped to the fourth spot, pushing Proteas’ Kagiso Rabada to the third place.