Root usurps Williamson to become top-ranked batsman in Test cricket

An already-extraordinary 2021 is becoming better by the minute for England skipper Joe Root, who has now been crowned the number one Test batsman in the world in the ICC’s latest rankings update. At Headingley last week Root scored his sixth ton of 2021, and his third in the five-match series against India. 

The England skipper posted a match-winning 121 that came on the back of a stunning 180* in the second Test at Lord’s, which was his first ever ton in a losing cause. The scarcely believable string of scores have seen the England skipper surge to the top with 916 rating points, with him now 15 clear of New Zealand’s Kane Williamson (901) who is second. Root is now only one rating point shy of his best ever score (917) which he registered six years ago in 2015.

While it is all delight for Root, that is not the case for his counterpart Virat Kohli, who has slipped to sixth in the latest update, below his teammate Rohit Sharma. Kohli, who had an extraordinary tour of England in 2018, was dismissed for scores of 7 and 55 at Headingley, and the lean run has seen the Indian skipper slip out of the top five. Kohli (766) is now 7 points shy of Rohit, who is currently boasting his highest ever rating score (773). 

Rishabh Pant, who was not too long ago in the Top 10, has slipped to 12th, while Ajinkya Rahane has fallen off a cliff, dropping to 18th. Cheteshwar Pujara (15th) is the only other Indian in the Top 20.

There is no movement on the all-rounder’s front, but among bowlers, veteran James Anderson has entered the Top 5 once again. Anderson finished with match figures of 4/69 at Headingley, and the masterful showing has seen the 39-year-old overtake New Zealand’s Neil Wagner to break into the Top 5.