In a remarkable achievement, Jasprit Bumrah has ascended to the top of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Test rankings for the first time in his career, following an outstanding performance in India’s second Test against England. The seamer displaced his teammate Ravichandran Ashwin to claim the coveted top spot, marking a historic moment as the first Indian fast bowler to achieve this distinction.
Bumrah, who previously held the highest third ranking, has now become the fourth Indian player to lead the Test bowling rankings, joining the ranks of Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Bishan Singh Bedi. The 30-year-old paceman’s rise to the top came after he secured match figures of 9/91 in India’s series-leveling victory over England in the second Test at Visakhapatnam. Bumrah’s spectacular nine-wicket haul earned him the Player of the Match accolade, surpassing opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who notched a double century in India’s first innings.
Starting the second Test ranked fourth, Bumrah’s stellar performance propelled him three places up to claim the premier position. Ashwin, who had held the No.1 ranking since March the previous year, now finds himself in third place. South African pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada maintains his second-place ranking despite sitting out the Test series against New Zealand.
Jasprit Bumrah jumps to No.1 on ICC Test Rankings after incredible figures of 9/91 against England
Bumrah’s standout contributions in the second Test included a remarkable 6/45 in England’s first innings and a crucial 3/46 in the second innings. Notably, his delivery to dismiss Ollie Pope in the first innings, a searing reverse-swinging yorker that dismantled the stumps, garnered widespread acclaim in the cricketing world.
Despite challenging conditions that often favor spin bowlers in India, Bumrah has emerged as India’s standout performer in the series. Impressively, he has accumulated 29 wickets in the six Test matches he has played on home soil, boasting an outstanding average of 13.06. Overall, Bumrah has amassed 155 Test wickets in 34 matches, maintaining an impressive average of 20.19.
In contrast, Ashwin, who claimed three wickets in the second innings but remained wicketless in the first, slid down to fourth place. The off-spinner is now on the cusp of a historic milestone, standing just one wicket away from joining Anil Kumble as the second Indian bowler to reach 500 Test wickets.
Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s stellar innings of 209 off 290 balls propelled him up the Test rankings for batters, soaring 37 places to 29th. England’s Joe Root, on the other hand, slipped to third place, with Australia’s Steve Smith taking the second spot. England’s Zak Crawley, following two innings in the 70s during the second Test, climbed eight spots to 22nd in the rankings.
Also read: Jasprit Bumrah wins POTM award for his exceptional bowling in the 2nd Test
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