Bumrah Retains Top Spot in Test Bowling Rankings, Boland Climbs 29 Places
Ranvir Singh
New Delhi: The past week saw action-packed Test cricket with three key series concluding. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia, a two-match series between South Africa and Pakistan, and another two-match series between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan were the highlights. Players who excelled in the final matches of these series have gained significantly in the latest ICC Test rankings.
On Wednesday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) released its updated Test rankings for men. India’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah has retained his position at the top of the Test bowling rankings with an impressive 908 rating points. Bumrah claimed 32 wickets in the recently concluded five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy, emerging as the highest wicket-taker. Besides Bumrah, veteran spinner Ravindra Jadeja is the second Indian bowler in the top 10, ranked joint 9th with 745 points.
Boland’s Stunning Rise
Australia’s fast bowler Scott Boland made a remarkable leap of 29 places in the ICC rankings, entering the top 10 for the first time. Boland’s stellar performance in the Sydney Test against India, where he took 10 wickets for 86 runs, played a crucial role in Australia’s series victory. His efforts ended Australia’s decade-long wait to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a 3-1 series win. Boland, who was named Player of the Match in the final game, is now ranked joint 9th alongside Ravindra Jadeja with 745 rating points.
Other Top Bowlers
Pat Cummins (Australia) remains in 2nd place with 841 points.
Kagiso Rabada (South Africa) moved up one spot to 3rd with 837 points after taking six wickets in the final Test against Pakistan.
Josh Hazlewood (Australia) dropped two places to 4th with 835 points.
Batting Rankings: Rishabh Pant Gains
India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has jumped three places to 9th in the batting rankings, earning 739 points. Pant’s explosive 61 off 33 balls in the second innings of the Sydney Test showcased his match-winning capabilities.
South African Progress
South African batsmen made significant progress after their commanding 10-wicket win over Pakistan.
Ryan Rickelton moved up 48 places to 55th following his match-winning 259-run knock.
Temba Bavuma climbed three spots to a career-best 6th position.
Kyle Verreynne rose four places to 24th after scoring centuries.
Other Notable Gains
Rahmat Shah (Afghanistan) jumped 26 places to 26th in the batting rankings.
Craig Ervine (Zimbabwe) climbed 10 spots to 37th.
All-Rounder Rankings
South Africa’s Marco Jansen, named Player of the Series for his 10 wickets and 80 runs, climbed two places to secure the 2nd spot among all-rounders.
The latest ICC rankings reflect the exceptional performances and shifting dynamics of Test cricket globally, keeping the race for individual and team dominance exciting.
