Mitchell Starc claims global top bowling honours

Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has officially secured the number one position in the ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings, concluding Jasprit Bumrah's extended dominance at the summit. Earning this elite distinction for the first time in his 15-year professional career, the 36-year-old speedster accumulated 872 rating points to surpass both Bumrah and New Zealand's Matt Henry. Historically, fast bowlers reaching their absolute statistical peak in their mid-thirties represents a rare physiological achievement in modern five-day cricket.

Bumrah held this prestigious position for much of the past two years, achieving a combined 697 days at the top of the global rankings—the longest collective reign by an Indian bowler. His scheduled rest from India’s ongoing World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka allowed international rivals to close the rating gap.

Crushing Performance in Mackay

Starc capitalized on this exact opening during Australia's commanding innings-and-51-run victory over Bangladesh in the second Test match. Earning Player of the Match honors, he dismantled the visiting batting lineup with remarkable figures of 6/12 in the first innings. This devastating spell included taking five wickets across a span of just 22 deliveries. He followed up that effort with 4/39 in the second innings to finish with a match haul of 10 wickets. Ultimately, officials named him Player of the Series after he captured 12 total wickets across the two-match campaign.

Ripple Effects across Standings

Consequently, Bumrah drops down to second place globally with 862 points, while Matt Henry closely trails in third with 861 points. Australian captain Pat Cummins also advanced to fourth overall after securing six wickets against Bangladesh, and veteran spinner Nathan Lyon moved up two spots to tenth.

Beyond the bowling charts, Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant climbed six places to equal seventh following his rapid half-century against Sri Lanka in Galle. England’s Harry Brook maintains his firm grip on the number one batting spot, extending his advantage over teammate Joe Root.

With Inputs from Agency Threads and Image Courtesy: ANI