Jonny Bairstow and Rishabh Pant have made giant strides in the updated ICC Test batting rankings following the rescheduled fifth Test between India and England at Edgbaston.
Bairstow produced a Player-of-the-Match performance, hitting twin tons in the game to script England’s series-levelling seven-wicket victory.
While the Yorkshire lad slammed 106 in the first innings, he returned with an unbeaten hundred (114) in the second dig chasing the massive target of 378. Thanks to his exploits, Bairstow climbed 11 places to 10th in the Test batting rankings with 742 rating points.
Bairstow has been in the finest form of his career, having smashed four tons in his last three Tests. He was instrumental in England’s 3-0 whitewash over New Zealand at home last month, with consecutive centuries at Trent Bridge and Headingley.
Ahead of the New Zealand series, Bairstow was 47th in batters' ranking with 541 rating points. Four matches and four centuries later, the right-hander has stormed into the top 10 for the first time since 2018.
India’s wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant returned with scores of 146 and 57 at Edgbaston. As a result, the southpaw claimed his highest-ever position in the Test batting rankings, moving six places to fifth with 801 rating points.
With Pant’s entry, two Indians now feature in the top 10 of ICC rankings for batters. Skipper Rohit Sharma, who missed the Edgbaston Test after testing positive for COVID-19, holds the 9th position in the chart.
Virat Kohli only managed scores of 11 and 20 in the rescheduled Test match and found himself out of the top 10. The former India captain now occupies the 13th spot, having dropped three places in the batting rankings.
Former England skipper Joe Root continues to sit at the top of the pile and an unbeaten century (142*) in England's record chase at Edgbaston helped him attain his highest rating points (923).
James Anderson played his part in England’s victory at Edgbaston with a five-wicket haul in the first innings. The veteran pacer now has 17 wickets in three Tests since his recall and he has moved up one spot to 6th in the bowling rankings.
Nathan Lyon has made significant gains for taking nine wickets in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle, advancing five spots to 13th.
There has been no change to the top 10 of the Test all-rounder rankings but Australia’s Cameron Green moves closer to breaking into it for the first time after jumping three spots to 14th.
(With ICC inputs)
