ICC Test player rankings: Joe Root climbs to No. 2, significant rise for KL Rahul

England Test captain Joe Root has moved up to second position in the latest ICC Test player rankings for batters. Root, who was in fifth place, gained two slots to move past the Aussie duo of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.

The England skipper played a majestic knock of 180 in the first innings of the Lord’s Test against India and followed it up with 33 in the second.

He is now within striking distance of the No. 1 Test batter in the ICC Test player rankings - Kane Williamson. While the Kiwi skipper has 901 points, Root is at 893.

Also, Team India opener KL Rahul, who scored a stupendous 129 in the first innings at Lord’s, has gained 19 places to move up to the 37th place. Rahul achieved a career-best of eighth place in the ICC Test player rankings back in November 2017.

The Indian trio of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant remained unmoved on fifth, sixth and seventh positions respectively.

↗️ Joe Root rises to No.2↗️ Babar Azam moves up two spotsThe latest @MRFWorldwide ICC Men's Test Player Rankings for batting 👇🔗 https://t.co/OMjjVx5Mgf pic.twitter.com/ERYzCGm9Pc

— ICC (@ICC) August 18, 2021

Looking at updates from the West Indies-Pakistan Test in Kingston, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has gained two places to move up to eighth position in the ICC Test player rankings. He scored 30 and 55 in the Test.

Also, Faheem Ashraf and Fawad Alam have gained four places each and are in the 48th and 55th positions respectively.

For West Indies, captain Kraigg Brathwaite, who scored a crucial 97 in the first innings, has moved up 18 places to occupy the 45th spot.

Jermaine Blackwood, who contributed 22 and 55 in the one-wicket win, has moved up nine places and is in 35th position in the ICC Test player rankings.

Big leap for Mohammed Siraj in ICC Test player rankings

Shifting focus to the bowlers, Mohammed Siraj, who claimed eight wickets at Lord’s, has jumped 18 places to occupy 38th position in the updated ICC Test player rankings.

England fast bowler Mark Wood, who picked up five wickets in the same match, has gained five slots and is one spot ahead of Siraj. England legend James Anderson, with a five-wicket haul in the first innings, has moved from seventh to sixth position.

With four wickets against Pakistan in Kingston, Jason Holder moved into the Top 10 of the ICC Test player rankings, gaining two places to go from 11th to ninth.

Following his eight-wicket match haul, fast bowler Jayden Seales climbed 39 places to 58th while Kemar Roach moved up two places to reach 11th spot.

James Anderson and Jason Holder make significant gains in the latest @MRFWorldwide ICC Men's Test Player Rankings for bowling 📈🔗 https://t.co/OMjjVx5Mgf pic.twitter.com/sTDH9Rr6In

— ICC (@ICC) August 18, 2021

For Pakistan, left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi, who grabbed eight wickets in Kingston, gained four slots and is in 18th position in the ICC Test player rankings.