Joe Root Reclaims No. 1 in ICC Test Batting Rankings as Pakistani Duo Shakeel, Ayub Climb

KEY POINTS

• Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel climbs to 12th, while Saim Ayub enters the rankings at joint 83rd
• Australia’s Scott Boland jumps six places to sixth in bowling rankings following a hat-trick against West Indies
• Spinner Noman Ali remains Pakistan’s only bowler in the top 10

ISLAMABAD: England’s Joe Root has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings following his match-winning performance against India at Lord’s. Meanwhile, Pakistani batters Saud Shakeel and Saim Ayub have made notable gains.

Root’s magnificent century (104) in the first innings, coupled with a solid 40 in the second, propelled England to a narrow 22-run victory over India in the third Test at Lord’s.

This feat nudged Root ahead of his teammate Harry Brook, who slipped to third place despite earlier holding the top spot. New Zealand’s Kane Williamson holds steady at No. 2.

Among the Indian contingent, captain Shubman Gill’s disappointing showing saw him drop three places to No. 9, while Rishabh Pant fell to No. 8.

In contrast, other Indian players like KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja made modest gains following their notable performances.

Australia’s Steven Smith made a significant jump to fourth in the batting charts, aided by his resilience in the low-scoring day-night Test in Jamaica, while Yashasvi Jaiswal faced setbacks after underwhelming scores against England.

On the bowling front, Australia’s Scott Boland made headlines by leaping six places to sixth following a sensational six-wicket haul, including a second-innings hat-trick against West Indies.

Jasprit Bumrah of India continues to dominate the bowling rankings, followed by South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada and Australia’s Pat Cummins.

Turning to Pakistan’s contingent, spinner Noman Ali remains the lone Pakistani bowler in the top 10, maintaining his fifth position with 806 points.

Other bowlers like Sajid Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Abbas, and Naseem Shah hold respectable places further down the list.

In batting, Saud Shakeel has climbed one spot to 12th, now boasting 739 rating points, while newcomer Saim Ayub has broken into the rankings at joint 83rd.

Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam continue to hold their positions at 21st and 23rd, respectively.

The all-rounder rankings show Ravindra Jadeja still firmly at the top, with Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha and others trailing behind.

Despite these individual strides, Pakistan currently has no batters or all-rounders in the top 10, highlighting the challenges the team faces in establishing dominance in the longest format.

ICC Test Batting Rankings (Top 10)

ICC Test Bowling Rankings (Top 10)

ICC Test All-Rounder Rankings (Top 10)

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