Head jumps to No. 3 as Australia claim top three spots in batting rankings

Travis Head’s stunning century in the first innings of the World Test Championship final not only helped Australia defeat India but also propelled him to the No. 3 spot in the ICC Men's Test Batting Rankings. The left-hander jumped three places, joining Marnus Labuschagne (1st) and Steve Smith (2nd) in the top three.

Usman Khawaja (9th) is another Australian in the top 10. The last time three batters from the same team occupied the top three positions in the Test rankings was in December 1984 when Gordon Greenidge, Clive Lloyd and Larry Gomes from West Indies formed the top trio.

Head smoked 163 off 174 deliveries, studded with 25 fours and a six. Meanwhile, Smith crafted 121 off 268 deliveries. The two put on 285 runs for the fourth wicket and batter India out of the contest.

Alex Carey's exploits (48 and 66*) were also rewarded with a jump of 11 spots, moving to 36th. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli sit in 12th and 13th respectively.

In the bowling department, Australian offspinner Nathan Lyon jumped two places to tie for sixth with Ollie Robinson. Lyon only claimed one wicket in the first innings but grabbed four in the second essay. 

Scott Boland's stocks continue to rise, moving up five places to 36th, four places ahead of Mohammed Siraj, who claimed 4/108 and 1/80 in the defeat. R Ashwin, in spite of being left out of India's side for the Final, remains the top-ranked bowler.