ICC Test Rankings: Joe Root becomes No.1 batter; Ravichandran Ashwin retains top spot in bowlers rankings

In the latest ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings, Joe Root (887) of England has dethroned Marnus Labuschagne (877) to claim the top spot. Labuschagne held the No. 1 ranking for over six months since December 2022, but Root’s stellar performance in the thrilling opening Ashes Test at Edgbaston propelled him to the top position.

Root’s unbeaten 118 and 46 in the Edgbaston Test, which came in a losing cause against Australia, elevated him five places to become the new No. 1 Test batter. Labuschagne, on the other hand, had a relatively underwhelming outing in the Ashes opener, causing him to drop to third place. New Zealand’s Kane Williamson (883) now occupies the second position, climbing two places in the tally.

The race for the top spot among Test batters is incredibly tight, with just 26 rating points separating the top six players. Fellow Australians Travis Head and Steve Smith also slipped in the rankings, with Head dropping to fourth and Smith falling four places to sixth.

Australian opener Usman Khawaja, who was named the Player of the Match for his

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