Joe Root Returns to No.1 in ICC Test Batting Rankings after Lord’s Heroics
Joe Root reclaims No.1 Test batting ranking with 888 points after Lord’s century; Brook drops to second, Gill falls to ninth
Joe Root has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Test batting rankings, rising to 888 points following his match-winning performances in the third Test against India at Lord’s. Root’s scores of 104 and 40 helped England clinch a narrow 22-run victory and take a 2-1 series lead in the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy.
At 34, Root becomes the oldest player to lead the Test rankings since Kumar Sangakkara in 2014. This marks Root’s eighth tenure as the No.1 ranked Test batter, underlining his enduring class and consistency.
His 104 at Lord’s was not only crucial in the context of the match, but also his 37th Test hundred elevating him past Rahul Dravid into fifth on the all-time list. He also joined an elite group of players to score over 8,000 runs while batting exclusively at No.4.
Teammate Harry Brook, who had held the No.1 spot, dropped to second with 862 points after a quiet outing. Australia’s Steve Smith moved up to fourth after a solid 48 against the West Indies, while Cameron Green surged 16 places to 29th.
Meanwhile, India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant slipped to fifth and eighth respectively, while Shubman Gill fell to ninth after a lean match at Lord’s.
