India pacer Jasprit Bumrah has claimed the No.1 spot in the latest ICC Men’s Test Bowler rankings following his heroics in the Vizag Test. This is the first time that an Indian pacer has become the top-ranked Test bowler.

Bumrah, who recently became the fastest Indian speedster to pick up 150 Test wickets, rose to the top for the first time on the back of his tremendous match figures of 9/91 during his side’s series-equaling 106-run victory over England in the second Test in Vizag.

Bumrah’s nine-wicket haul earned him Player of the Match honours in the second Test and propelled him three places up the latest Test rankings for bowlers, taking the top spot from teammate Ravichandran Ashwin.

Ashwin, who has held the top spot since March last year, took only three wickets for India in that match and falls two places to third in the updated Test bowling rankings, with South Africa pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada remaining in second despite missing the Proteas’ Test series in New Zealand.

It is the first time Bumrah has held the top spot, as the 30-year-old has never finished higher than third despite having 10 five-wicket hauls for his country in 34 Test match outings. Bumrah has two five-wicket hauls in Test matches in 2024, with stats of 6/61 against South Africa in Cape Town at the start of the year and a similarly spectacular spell of 6/45 in his most recent game against England.

Jayasuriya, Lyon climb in rankings

Sri Lankan spinner Prabath Jayasuriya jumped 3 places up to No.6 after he picked up a 5-wicket haul in the Only Test against Afghanistan at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.

Nathan Lyon, who reached the landmark of 500 Test wickets in the series against Pakistan, moved 2 places up to No.8 in the rankings. Ravindra Jadeja and Ollie Robinson dropped 2 places to No.9 and 10 respectively.

Joe Root dropped 1 place down to No.3 after faltering in the first 2 Tests against India. Ben Stokes and Axar Patel also climbed 1 spot up to No. 4 and 5 respectively.

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