In a historic feat, Jasprit Bumrah has become the first Indian fast bowler to secure the number one position in the Men’s ICC Test rankings, surpassing his teammate Ravichandran Ashwin. This achievement follows Bumrah’s stellar performance in the second Test between India and England, where the Gujarat-born pacer impressively bagged nine wickets across both innings.
Before the commencement of the 2024 Anthony de Mello Trophy, Bumrah held the third position in the ICC Test bowlers rankings. However, his outstanding display in Vizag propelled him two places higher, earning him the coveted top spot. The 30-year-old was rightfully awarded the Player of the Match in the second Test, delivering an exceptional six-for in the first innings and a three-for in the second.
This accomplishment surpasses the previous best ranking achieved by an Indian pacer, held by Kapil Dev (2nd) during 1979-80 and Zaheer Khan (3rd) in 2010. Bumrah also achieved his career-best ratings (881), outshining Kagiso Rabada, who holds the next best rating at 851. In the Men’s Test bowling rankings, Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja secure the third and ninth positions respectively. Notably, India and Australia stand out as the only two teams with three bowlers each in the top ten.
Shifting focus to the batting charts, Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal made a remarkable leap, ascending 37 spots to claim the 29th position in the Test batting rankings. His counterpart, Zak Crawley, also showed improvement, moving eight spots to reach No. 22.
Moreover, three Indian all-rounders have made their mark in the top ten of the Test All-rounder’s rankings, with Ravindra Jadeja leading the chart. Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel follow closely in the second and fifth positions, solidifying India’s dominance in this aspect of the game.
