Joe Root reclaims No.1 spot in Test rankings after six years, Rohit overtakes Kohli
Joe Root, after a series of consistent performances in the year, has climbed to the top-position in the ICC Test Batting rankings, overtaking Kane Williamson. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has slipped a position to sixth, with Rohit Sharma displacing him to break into the top-five.
Root has endured a stellar run with the bat in 2021, having aggregated 1,398 runs from 11 matches with six hundreds to his name. After his monumental scores of 228, 186 and 218 on trips to Sri Lanka and England earlier this year, the England skipper has maintained his glorious run in the ongoing Test series against India, with three hundreds from as many games.
Root, who was ranked fifth at the start of the series, has displaced New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson to take the pole position.
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β ICC (@ICC) September 1, 2021
England captain @root66 surges to the top spot in the @MRFWorldwide ICC Men's Test Player Rankings for batting π
More on his rise π
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma, who currently stands second to Root among leading-run scorers this year, with 768 runs from 10 matches, has broken into the top-five ahead of his skipper, Virat Kohli. Rohit returned with scores of 19 and 59 at Headingley, after having stroked a fluent 83 in the first-innings at Lordβs. Steve Smith (2nd) and Marnus Labuschagne (3rd) round off the top-five.
Cheteshwar Pujara, too, climbed three spots to 15th, after his 91 in the second innings at Leeds.
James Anderson, who became only the second-bowler to 400 Test wickets at home during the third Test, has also climbed a ranking higher to fifth, overtaking Neil Wagner. Ollie Robinson too, advanced nine spots to No.36, after his second Test-five for, with Craig Overton taking the 73rd spot.