Charismatic England batter Joe Root’s reign at the top of the ICC Test batting rankings ended on Wednesday with compatriot Harry Brook taking the No.1 spot, while India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and spinner Ravindra Jadeja held on to their top positions in the bowlers’ and all-rounders’ charts respectively in the longest format. Brook, 25, overtook Root following his eighth Test century against New Zealand in Wellington last week, with the right-handed player now enjoying a slender one-point advantage over his more experienced teammate at the top of the latest ICC rankings.
Brook has a total of 898 rating points, one more than Root, and joins Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar with the equal 34th highest rating of all time for Test batters.
Root had held on to the top spot since July this year when he displaced former New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson from the No.1 position.
Brook scored 123 and 55 in England’s massive 323-run victory over New Zealand, while Root had innings of 3 and 106 in the same Test.
“If you asked me, Brooky is by far and away the best player in the world at the minute,” Root said following England’s victory in Wellington.
“He has such an all-round game, he can absorb pressure, he can apply it, he can whack you over your head for six, he can scoop you over his head for six, he can smack spin, he can smack seam. He’s so hard to bowl to.” Bumrah maintained his No.1 position at the top of the Test bowlers’ rankings with 890 rating points. The Indian has some tough competition from South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada (856) and Australian pace bowler Josh Hazlewood (851).
Jadeja too maintained his top spot on the Test rankings for all-rounders with 415 rating points, followed distantly by Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz (285), who gained two places to move to second following his side’s series against the West Indies.
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