Image: Harry Brook has displaced Joe Root as the number 1 Test batter in the ICC rankings / © Independent.co.uk
ICC Test Batsmen Rankings have got a whole new look as Harry Brook has displaced Joe Root to become the No. 1 Test batter in the latest rankings. Brook’s sensational form in the ongoing Test series against New Zealand has earned him 898 rating points, just one point ahead of Root, who drops to second place with 897 points. Brook’s performance, including scores of 123 and 55 in Wellington, helped him achieve the top spot, ending Root’s brief ninth stint at the top, which lasted less than five months.
In other changes, Australia’s Travis Head has jumped six places to fifth with 781 rating points following his match-winning knock of 140 in the pink-ball Test against India in Adelaide. Rishabh Pant, despite his presence in the top 10 for a while, has slipped three positions to ninth with 724 points due to a lack of impact in recent matches.
| Rank | Player | Rating Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harry Brook | 898 |
| 2 | Joe Root | 897 |
| 3 | Kane Williamson | 812 |
| 4 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | 811 |
| 5 | Travis Head | 781 |
| 6 | Kamindu Mendis | 759 |
| 7 | Temba Bavuma | 753 |
| 8 | Dary Mitchell | 729 |
| 9 | Rishabh Pant | 724 |
| 10 | Saud Shakeel | 724 |
The biggest surprise is Steve Smith’s fall from the top 10 for the first time in years, now sitting at 11th with 708 points. Meanwhile, Temba Bavuma, the Player of the Series against Sri Lanka, has surged three places to seventh with 753 points. Yashasvi Jaiswal, despite a poor series in Adelaide, remains fourth with 811 points.