ICC Test Rankings: Mitchell Starc replaces Jasprit Bumrah as No.1 Test bowler

Jasprit Bumrah has been dethroned as the No.1 Test bowler, with Australia's Mitchell Starc taking the top spot for the first time after his stellar performance against Bangladesh.Jasprit Bumrah's reign as the No.1 Test bowler is over (Reuters Photo)Jasprit Bumrah's long-standing reign at the summit of Test cricket has finally been broken. Australian speedster Mitchell Starc has surged to the top of the ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings, claiming the world No. 1 spot for the very first time in his career.Bumrah first scaled the peak in February 2024 and held a near-monopoly on the position over the past two years. But with the Indian pace spearhead missing the ongoing World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka, Starc seized the moment with a blistering stretch of form against Bangladesh to force a change at the top.The catalyst came in Mackay during the second Test, where Starc put on a clinical show against Bangladesh. The left-arm quick ripped through Bangladesh to claim a 10-wicket match haul, jumping two places in the latest update to leapfrog both Bumrah and New Zealand seam merchant Matt Henry.It is a monumental milestone for the 36-year-old, coming 15 years into an international career defined by high-octane pace. Though Starc has been a fixture in the top ten for years—and recently cracked the top three after tearing through England in the Ashes—the absolute top spot had remained stubbornly out of reach. Starc's rise pushes Bumrah down to second and slips Henry into third. He isn't the only Aussie bowler making moves, either. Skipper Pat Cummins climbed to fourth after a six-wicket haul in Mackay, while spin maestro Nathan Lyon jumped two places to claw his way back into 10th.Over in the UK, England's seamers made huge leaps of their own following a ruthless display against Pakistan at Headingley. Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue were in destructive mood, sharing 16 wickets between them to setup an emphatic win. Robinson shot up 15 spots to 11th, while Tongue catapulted 16 places to land at 17th. Things are far more settled at the top of the batting ladder. England's Harry Brook remains entrenched at No. 1, with Joe Root right on his heels in second. Steve Smith and Travis Head hold firm in third and fourth, keeping the battle between England and Australia's elite tightly balanced.The biggest shake-up inside the top ten belongs to Rishabh Pant. India's dynamic keeper-batsman surged six places up to joint-seventh on the back of a trademark counter-attacking fifty in the second innings against Sri Lanka at Galle. Pant now sits level with Marnus Labuschagne, giving India a vital foothold in the upper tier of the batting charts.- EndsPublished By: Saurabh KumarPublished On: Aug 26, 2026 13:49 IST