Mitchell Starc Ends Bumrah's Reign Atop Test Bowler Rankings

Mitchell Starc has climbed to the No.1 position in the ICC Men’s Test Bowler Rankings for the first time in his career, ending Jasprit Bumrah’s lengthy spell at the top. The shift follows Starc’s dominant 10-wicket match haul for Australia against Bangladesh in the second Test in Mackay, combined with Bumrah’s continued absence from India’s ongoing World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka.

How Starc reached the top?

Bumrah first rose to the No.1 ranking in February 2024 and had held the position for much of the past two years. Starc’s latest performance against Bangladesh moved him up two places, past both Bumrah and New Zealand’s Matt Henry, to reach the top spot for the first time in a Test career spanning roughly 15 years. The 36-year-old had already been a fixture inside the top 10 for years and moved into the top three after strong performances against England in the Ashes series late last year, but this marks his first time leading the rankings outright.

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Movement across the bowler rankings

Starc’s rise has produced several other changes further down the Test bowler list:

Jasprit Bumrah drops to second place following his continued absence from India’s Sri Lanka series
Matt Henry falls to third as a result of Starc’s move to the top
Pat Cummins climbs one place to fourth after taking six wickets for the match against Bangladesh
Nathan Lyon rises two spots to 10th
England’s Ollie Robinson jumps 15 places to 11th following a match-winning display against Pakistan
Josh Tongue improves 16 places to 17th after combining with Robinson for 16 wickets in the same Test

England pair make a big leap

Robinson and Tongue’s gains came from a one-sided first Test win over Pakistan in Headingley, where the pair combined for 16 wickets between them. Their sharp rise up the bowler rankings reflects one of the most significant single-match ranking jumps in the current update, alongside Starc’s move to No.1.

Batting rankings remain largely settled

Unlike the bowling list, the top of the Test batter rankings has stayed unchanged. England’s Harry Brook holds the No.1 spot, with teammate Joe Root in second, while Australia’s Steve Smith and Travis Head occupy third and fourth respectively. The most notable movement within the top 10 belongs to India’s Rishabh Pant, who gained six places to move into a share of seventh position following his quickfire half-century in the second innings of India’s win over Sri Lanka in Galle.

Other batting gains further down the list

Beyond the top 10, several players recorded notable rises on the batting rankings. Australia all-rounder Cameron Green climbed nine spots to 21st, Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva moved up two places to a share of 22nd, Pakistan’s Abdullah Shafique rose seven rungs to a share of 27th, and India’s KL Rahul advanced five slots to 30th.

All-rounder rankings hold steady

The Test all-rounder rankings saw no change at the top, with India’s Ravindra Jadeja retaining the No.1 spot. Smaller gains were recorded further down the list, with Pat Cummins moving up one place to seventh, Cameron Green rising one spot to a share of 17th, and Ollie Robinson climbing five rungs to 23rd.

What it means going forward?

Bumrah’s drop to second reflects the impact that extended absences can have on the rankings system, even for a bowler who dominated the position for two years. With Starc now at the top and England’s bowling pair making sharp gains of their own, the rankings heading into the next round of Test cricket look considerably more contested at the top than they have in recent seasons.

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Author: M Jyosri
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Why did Mitchell Starc become the No.1 ranked Test bowler?

Starc’s 10-wicket match haul against Bangladesh in Mackay pushed him past Jasprit Bumrah and Matt Henry to reach No.1 for the first time in his career.

Why did Jasprit Bumrah drop in the Test bowler rankings?

Bumrah’s continued absence from India’s ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka contributed to his fall from first to second place.

Who else gained ground in the latest Test bowler rankings?

Pat Cummins rose to fourth, Nathan Lyon moved up to 10th, and England’s Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue jumped to 11th and 17th respectively after their win over Pakistan.

Did the Test batter rankings change at the top?

No, Harry Brook remains No.1, followed by Joe Root, Steve Smith and Travis Head, though India’s Rishabh Pant rose six spots to joint seventh.

Who leads the Test all-rounder rankings?

India’s Ravindra Jadeja remains No.1 in the all-rounder rankings, with Pat Cummins, Cameron Green and Ollie Robinson all making small gains.