ICC TestRankings: Root and Henry Sustain Top Spots

England and New Zealand’s ICC World Test Championship match at The Oval has led to significant shifts in the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings, with Matt Henry and Joe Root securing the top positions. Henry joined Jasprit Bumrah at No.1 among Test bowlers, while Root reclaimed the leading batters’ spot.

Henry’s 11-wicket haul in the second Test helped New Zealand level the series 1-1. This marks his return to the No.1 bowling ranking, only the third New Zealander to achieve this after Jack Cowie (1947) and Richard Hadlee (1984–1990).

Henry’s Resurgence in New Zealand Rankings

Henry’s 870 rating points had previously been surpassed only by two Kiwis: Hadlee (909 in 1985) and Kane Williamson (919 in 2021). Bumrah had dominated the bowling charts alone since surpassing Kagiso Rabada in November 2024.

Root regained the No.1 batting spot after scores of 46 and 77 in England’s 253-run loss in London. This marks his 12th time atop the Test rankings, overtaking Harry Brook and Travis Head in the process.

Broad Changes in Test Rankings

Brook and Root have alternated No.1 positions six times in 18 months after Root initially surpassed Williamson. New Zealand batters also gained momentum following their largest-ever win in England.

White-ball rankings also saw movement: Shubman Gill rose three spots to second in ODIs, while Ishan Kishan (43rd, +21) and Hashmatullah Shahidi (52nd, +4) climbed. India’s ODI bowlers improved with Arshdeep Singh (22nd, +16), Prasidh Krishna (58th, +34), and Washington Sundar (71st, +17). In T20Is, Mitch Marsh (9th) and Nathan Ellis (7th) advanced after Australia’s series win in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh also gained: Towhid Hridoy (30th) and Saif Hassan (35th) in T20I batting, while Nasum Ahmed (11th, +27) rose in T20I bowling ranks.

Source link