Usman Khawaja attains career best No. 7 in ICC Test rankings after prolific Pakistan tour

Australia batter Usman Khawaja has jumped to No. 7 in ICC Test rankings for batters following his scintillating run against Pakistan in the three-match series that Australia clinched 1-0 after victory in the Lahore Test, which was preceded by two drawn affairs.

Khawaja was easily the best batter for his team, having amassed a whopping 496 runs at an astonishing average of 165.33, with his scores reading 97, 160, 44*, 91 and 104*. The performance during the Pakistan tour was only an extension of his good form after he began 2022 with twin centuries in his comeback Test in Sydney against England during the Ashes. Incidentally, that was the only affair England did not lose in the five-match series, as they flew back home with a horrific 0-4 drubbing.

The southpaw surpassed his compatriot David Warner, Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli, and Travis Head apart from Rohit Sharma to mark a six-spot jump to No. 7 in the latest round of Test batter rankings.

Much like Khawaja, Pakistan’s Abdullah Shafique, who enjoyed a prolific run in the series against Australia (397 runs at an impressive 79.40 in six innings, including a century and two half-centuries), witnessed a jump of 22 spots as he broke into the top 40. His teammate Mohammad Rizwan slid eight spots to No. 19. Meanwhile, Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne continues to occupy the top spot, followed by Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root at No. 2, 3 and 4, respectively.

In the all-rounder ranks, Ravichandran Ashwin displaced Jason Holder to climb to the No. 2 spot, only behind his teammate Ravindra Jadeja, while Kyle Mayers, ranked 11, made a big gain, climbing a whopping 29 spots to find himself on the verge of breaking into the top 10.

Mayers also made big gains in the bowlers’ rankings following his match haul of 7/31 against England in the Grenada Test (that West Indies clinched to win the three-match series 1-0) as he jumped 33 spots to No. 48. In the bowlers’ ranks, Australia captain Pat Cummins retained his top spot after a 12-wicket tally against Pakistan, while Mitchell Starc climbed four spots to No. 11.

Meanwhile, in ODIs, Adam Zampa broke into the top 10 after his 4/38 in Australia’s convincing 88-run triumph in the opening ODI against Pakistan. Babar Azam, Trent Boult and Shakib sit at the top spots in batting, bowling and the all-rounders’ rankings for ODIs respectively.

Test all-rounders rankings