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Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc has become the world's No.1-ranked Test bowler for the first time in his career, ending Jasprit Bumrah's long-standing reign at the top following his dominant performance against Bangladesh in the two-Test series.
Bumrah had first risen to the No.1 spot in February 2024 and held the position for much of the past two years. However, Bumrah's absence from India's ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) series against Sri Lanka, combined with Starc's Player of the Series-winning performance against Bangladesh, has brought a significant change at the top of the ICC Men's Test Bowler Rankings, according to the ICC website. Starc's 10-wicket haul in the second Test against Bangladesh in Mackay proved decisive, lifting the 36-year-old two places to the top of the ICC rankings. He moved past Jasprit Bumrah and New Zealand's Matt Henry to claim the No.1 spot for the first time in his career. The Aussie pacer has spent much of his 15-year Test career inside the top 10 and recently broke into the top three after a string of impressive performances against England in the Ashes series late last year. However, this marks the first time Starc has climbed all the way to the No.1 spot. Bumrah has slipped to second and Henry to third following Starc's rise, while Australia captain Pat Cummins has moved up one place to fourth after taking six wickets in the match against Bangladesh. Spinner Nathan Lyon has also climbed two spots to 10th in the Test bowling rankings. England duo Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue have also made significant gains in the Test bowling rankings following their match-winning performances against Pakistan in the first Test at Headingley. The pair shared 16 wickets in the one-sided contest in Leeds, with Robinson climbing 15 places to 11th, while Tongue moved up 16 spots to 17th overall. Meanwhile, the top of the ICC Test batting rankings remains unchanged, with England's Harry Brook and Joe Root retaining first and second positions, respectively. Australia's Steve Smith and Travis Head follow in third and fourth, keeping the gap between the top four narrow. India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is the biggest mover inside the top 10, climbing six places to joint seventh after his quickfire half-century in the second innings of India's win over Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle. Several batters outside the top 10 have risen in the Test rankings, with Cameron Green, Dhananjaya de Silva, Abdullah Shafique and KL Rahul making notable gains. Ravindra Jadeja remains the No.1 Test all-rounder, while Pat Cummins, Green and Ollie Robinson have also moved up. (ANI)
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