Mitchell Starc dethrones Marco Jansen to reclaim top spot in Test bowling rankings

Star Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has returned to the top of the ICC Test bowling rankings after dethroning Marco Jansen. Notably, Jansen had risen to the number one spot following South Africa’s victory in the second Test against Australia in Gqeberha. 

However, Starc’s remarkable bowling display in the third Test in Cape Town has helped him reclaim the spot. He registered figures of 6/72 and 3/65, despite Australia losing the match by 176 runs to concede the series 2-1. 

Starc had claimed the No.1 rank for the first time in August when he ended India pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s reign at the top.

On the other hand, Marco Jansen only scalped three wickets in the third Test, which saw him lose his pole position. However, he extended his lead at the top of the Test all-rounders’ rankings, following a half-century in the third Test.

South Africa off spinner Simon Harmer, who picked up a match-winning ten-wicket haul (10/120) in Cape Town for the first time in his career climbed nine places to seventh spot. He now has 817 rating points to his name, the second-highest by a South African spinner after Hugh Tayfield, who had 895 in February 1957.

Shreyas Iyer climbs two spots in T20I batting rankings

In the ODI bowling rankings, Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi has climbed one spot to be in fifth position. Afridi finished as the second-highest wicket-taker of the recent tri-nation series involving England and Sri Lanka with ten scalps from five innings.

On the other hand, England’s Ben Duckett has risen one spot to sixth in the ODI batting rankings. He was the second-highest run-scorer of the tri-series with 346 runs from four innings.

In the T20I batting rankings, India captain Shreyas Iyer gained spots to move to seventh overall, following his team’s 3-2 series win over New Zealand.