Joe Root has not lived up to the billing in the ongoing Ashes, despite scoring his maiden hundred on Australian soil during the second match of the series. Root is now in danger of losing his World No.1 spot in the ICC rankings.
England’s iconic batter Joe Root is in major danger of losing his World No.1 spot in the ICC rankings for the Test batters. As per the latest rankings, Root has lost rating points, while his compatriot Harry Brook has made a three-place jump in the rankings.
This came after Brook scored a 34-ball 41 and an unbeaten 18 from 22 in the fourth Ashes Test, while Root bagged a 15-ball duck and scored 15 from 38 balls across the two innings of the Boxing Day Test that the English side won by four wickets in hand. It was also England’s first Test win in Australia after 18 matches.
Following the fourth Test, Brook has jumped three places from fifth place to second in the Test batters’ rankings and has a rating of 846. Meanwhile, Root has lost 20 rating points from 887 to 867 as per the latest standings.
Shubman Gill back in top 10
Meanwhile, India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill is back in the top 10 of the Test batters’ rankings. This came after Alex Carey’s four-place drop in the recent rankings. The wicketkeeper batter scored 20 and four in the two innings of the Melbourne Test.
Mitchell Starc, Josh Tongue move up in rankings
Meanwhile, the speedsters ruled the roost in the Boxing Day Test, which saw several fast bowlers climbing up in the standings.
Australian speedster Mitchell Starc has moved a spot up to joint second after his four wickets in the fourth Test. He joined Pakistan’s Noman Ali with 843 ratings each and is right behind India’s Jasprit Bumrah, who has a rating of 879.
Player of the Match from the Boxing Day Test, Josh Tongue, has moved 13 spots up to 30th after his fifer in the first innings and two scalps in the second.
Brydon Carse has scaled six spots to reach 23rd after his four-wicket haul in the second, along with his maiden scalp in the first essay.