Joe Root replaces Marnus Labuschagne to become the No. 1 Test batter in ICC rankings

In-form England batter Joe Root has overtaken Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne to become the new No. 1 batter in Test cricket as per the updated ICC rankings. Having given up the captaincy, Root has been in amazing form for England in the ongoing Test series against New Zealand.

The 31-year-old followed up his unbeaten 115 in the second innings of the Lord’s Test with a brilliant 176 off 211 balls in the first innings in Nottingham. Root now has a total of 897 rating points, five points more than Labuschagne, who has slipped down to second. The Aussie batter claimed the No. 1 Test rankings in December last year after hitting 103 and 51 against England in Adelaide.

Root has been in brilliant form with the willow in 2022. Apart from notching up four hundreds, he recently also became the second English cricketer to cross the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket. Only former captain Sir Alastair Cook (12,472) has scored more Test runs for England than Root.

Among other batters, Australia's Steve Smith remains in third place in the ICC Test rankings, while Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson complete the top five. India’s Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have retained their eighth and 10th Test positions, respectively, in the rankings.

Meanwhile, New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell, who contributed 190 and 62* in the losing cause against England at Trent Bridge, has climbed 33 places and is now in 17th position in the ICC Test rankings for batters.

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Jasprit Bumrah moves into Top 3 in ICC rankings for bowlers

New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson, who could not bowl in the second innings of the Trent Bridge Test due to injury and went wicketless in the first innings, has dropped three places to sixth position in the ICC Test rankings for bowlers.

As a result, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah (third), Pakistan speedster Shaheen Afridi (fourth) and South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada (fifth) have all moved up one spot in the updated Test rankings.

Kiwi left-arm seamer Trent Boult has also moved up four places to ninth position, while fellow pacer Tim Southee has lost five spots and is now at No.13 in the rankings.