Joe Root Reclaims No.1 Spot in ICC Test Batting Rankings After Match-Winning Knock at Lord’s

Joe Root has reclaimed the No.1 position in the ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings following his match-winning performances in England’s thrilling 22-run victory over India at Lord’s. Root scored a century (104) in the first innings and followed it up with a crucial 40 in the second, guiding his side to a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. These efforts lifted his rating to 888 points, allowing him to surpass teammate Harry Brook (862), who had previously held the top spot.

This marks Root’s eighth stint as the world’s top-ranked Test batter. At 34, he is also the oldest player to top the rankings since Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara, who held the position at age 37 back in December 2014.

Elsewhere in the rankings, Australia’s Steve Smith moved up one spot to fifth with a gritty 48 in a low-scoring Test win over the West Indies in Jamaica. Cameron Green, also of Australia, jumped 16 places to 29th after solid contributions of 46 and 42 with the bat.

The match in the Caribbean saw bowlers dominate, particularly under lights with the pink ball. Scott Boland produced a standout performance, including a hat-trick and six wickets in the match, helping him rise to a career-best sixth position in the Test bowling rankings. His 62 wickets have come at an astonishing average of 16.53, a record bettered only by historical greats George Lohmann and Sydney Barnes.

Despite not moving from his 10th place ranking, Mitchell Starc edged closer to the bowlers above him, climbing to 766 rating points, just one behind ninth-ranked Marco Jansen. Australia now boasts five bowlers in the top 10, with Pat Cummins (third) and Josh Hazlewood (fourth) maintaining their positions. Nathan Lyon slipped to eighth to accommodate Boland’s rise, marking Australia’s most dominant showing in the bowling rankings since England had six bowlers in the top 12 in 1958.

West Indies pacers also gained ground at Sabina Park. Shamar Joseph rose 15 spots to 14th, Justin Greaves jumped to 65th, and Alzarri Joseph climbed to 29th. On the Indian side, Washington Sundar made the most notable leap, climbing 12 spots to 46th following his performance at Lord’s.

Significant shifts also occurred in the ICC T20I Player Rankings. Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Thushara and Bangladesh’s Rishad Hossain surged to 16th and 17th respectively, while Binura Fernando broke into the top 50 after a 22-spot climb. In the T20I all-rounder rankings, Dasun Shanaka moved up eight spots to 22nd, and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza rose to sixth after scoring an unbeaten 54 against South Africa.