Mitchell Starc, the star Australian fast bowler, gained one position to become the new world No. 2 Test bowler in the latest ICC rankings revealed on Wednesday (December 31). The left-arm bowler, who dismissed four English batters in two innings during the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, has 843 rating points.
India's Jasprit Bumrah is the world's leading Test bowler. The 32-year-old Ahmedabad-based fast bowler is ranked no.1 and has 879 rating points. He is unlikely to lose his top ranking in the next months.
Pat Cummins, who only played one Test in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 series, has dropped two places and is now at the 4th spot. His teammate Scott Boland has gained two places to become the world’s No. 7 Test bowler.
England’s Gus Atkinson has gained four places and is now the 12th-ranked Test bowler in the world. Brydon Carse has gained six places to take 23rd position. Josh Tongue, who set up England’s win in Melbourne with a fifer in Australia’s first innings and also bagged the Player of the Match (POTM) award, has jumped 13 spots to move to the 30th spot.
Harry Brook has risen three places in the ICC Test batter rankings to become the world's second-ranked Test batter, while Australia's Steve Smith has fallen two places. He is now ranked fifth.
Alex Carey has also slipped four ranks after failing to perform in both innings of the MCG Test. However, Carey's loss has helped India skipper Shubman Gill, who concluded the calendar year 2025 as the best run scorer. He has moved up one notch to 10th place in the ICC Test batting rankings.
(ICC inputs)
