Australia’s batters make history before Ashes start

Australia will officially enter the Ashes with the best three batsmen in the world, after becoming the first side in almost four decades to claim a trifecta in the ICC rankings.

Travis Head’s sparkling 163 against India at The Oval has moved him from sixth to third in the latest ICC rankings, behind Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith.

Head’s personal-best ranking caps a stunning rise from being out of Australia’s side ahead of the last Ashes series 19 months ago.

It also marks the first time a team has occupied the top three batting spots since 1984 when West Indies’ Gordon Greenidge, Clive Lloyd and Larry Gomes were first, second and third.

“It’s cool to see us all at the top of the tree in terms of the rankings,” Smith said.

“Those two in particular, the improvements they’ve made over the last four or five years have been exceptional.

“We all do it completely differently. Obviously Trav comes out and plays very aggressively and takes the game on and see ball, hit ball mentality.

“Marnus and I probably think

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