India’s marquee pacer Jasprit Bumrah scaled new heights, becoming the first pace bowler in the country’s history to be placed at the top spot in the men’s Test bowling rankings. It is the first time Bumrah took the numero uno spot in men’s Test rankings for bowlers, with the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Bishen Singh Bedi claiming the top spots in Test rankings previously. Bumrah’s rise to the top as a result of his 9/91 (over two innings) during Vizag Test as India secured a series-equalling 106-run victory over England.

The 30-year-old had never been previously recorded a Test ranking higher than third position despite claiming a total of 10 five-wicket hauls for his country from 34 Test matches.

Two of those five-wicket hauls have come this year, with the veteran pacer collecting figures of 6/61 against South Africa in Cape Town and 6/45 in his most recent appearance against England.

Jasprit Bumrah’s sensational 6/45 makes him the fastest Indian pacer to 150 Test wickets #WTC25 #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/nPLIEqNyZs

— ICC (@ICC) February 3, 2024

Bumrah took the top spot from teammate Ravichandran Ashwin, who had held the premier ranking since March last year. Ashwin didn’t have the finest of outings for India against England in Vizag, managing just three wickets as he dropped two places to third on the updated rankings for Test bowlers, with South Africa pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada taking the second spot, behind Bumrah.

Bumrah has also been named World No. 1 bowler in ODIs and T20Is on separate occasions in the past.

Bumrah now has 881 rating points with Ashwin (904) and Jadeja (899) the only India bowlers to have aggregated more rating points. Ashwin and Jadeja also have the unique distinction of being jointly top-ranked in March 2017.

The batting rankings see left-handed opener Yashasvi Jaiswal progress 37 places to 29th after completing a fine double-century in the first innings and Shubman Gill go up 14 places to a career-best 38th after notching a century in the second innings.

England opener Zak Crawley is another player to gain after the Visakhapatnam Test, moving up eight places to a career-best 22nd position after scores of 76 and 73.

Rookie leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has moved up 14 places to 70th while Tom Hartley, who became just the second England player with at least 50 runs and five wickets in each of his first two Tests, has advanced in both lists – up from 103rd to 95th in the batting rankings and from 63rd to 53rd in the bowling rankings.

The latest rankings have also factored in performances in the one-off Test between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in Colombo. Left-arm spinner Prabhath Jayasuriya has moved up to three places to a career-best sixth position after his eight-wicket match haul helped the home side win by 10 wickets.

In the ODI rankings, Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa is up one place to third and fast bowler Sean Abbott’s six wickets in the three-match series against the West Indies this past week have lifted him 35 places to joint-33rd position. 

With PTI inputs