Follow UsHarry Brook’s stroke-filled 158 in the first innings of the second Test has now helped him go past Joe Root as the No.1 Test batter, according to the ICC’s new rankings, on July 9 (Wednesday). Unfortunately, Root wasn’t at his best in England’s loss in Birmingham, with just 28 runs in the entire Test.
Root has now dropped 18 rating points and fallen behind the pecking order, as Brook continued his rise as the new force in Test cricket. Indian skipper Shubman Gill, who smashed 430 runs in the same Test, moved up a long way with a 15-place jump as the sixth-best Test batter in world cricket.
Gill is now just 79 rating points behind Brook, and has a serious chance to go past the likes of Steve Smith (fifth), Yashasvi Jaiswal (fourth), Kane Williamson (third) and Joe Root (second). Jamie Smith, too, has moved up to a career-high, placed tenth, after his stellar run in Birmingham, where he scored 184* and 88.
However, Wiaan Mulder, who could have broken Brian Lara’s 400, could only move 34 spots to become the 22nd-ranked batter.