Harry Brook Climbs ICC Rankings After Impressive Performance at MCG
Brook's Rise in ICC Rankings
Dubai, Dec 31: Harry Brook's remarkable performance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has significantly altered the Test Rankings. The England batsman has ascended three positions to claim the second spot in the latest ICC rankings, while Mitchell Starc has narrowed the gap to India's Jasprit Bumrah, who currently holds the top position, following an impressive bowling display throughout the series.
In a low-scoring match, Brook managed to score a total of 59 runs, which has propelled him past Australian players Steve Smith and Travis Head, as well as New Zealand's Kane Williamson. He now trails only Joe Root, who leads the rankings with 867 rating points.
Additionally, England's Joshua Tongue has also made strides in the rankings after a standout performance in the fourth Test of the ongoing Ashes series at the MCG.
Tongue's career-best figures of 5-45 and 2-44 helped turn the match in England's favor, allowing him to rise 13 places to 30th position. His teammates Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse have also seen improvements, moving up to 13th and 23rd positions, respectively, following England's four-wicket victory.
Australia's batting struggles have negatively impacted their players' ratings, but there is positive news for their bowlers. Starc and Scott Boland have achieved career-best rankings.
Starc has surpassed Australian captain Pat Cummins, who missed the MCG Test, and is now tied for second place with Pakistan's Noman Ali. The 35-year-old fast bowler is closing in on Bumrah's top ranking, with only 36 rating points separating them.
Boland, who took five wickets in the fourth Ashes Test, has reached a career-high ranking, moving to seventh place and surpassing the 800 rating mark for the first time.
Despite their loss in the MCG Test, Australia remains at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) standings with a percentage of 85.71. Former champions New Zealand and South Africa are in second and third place, respectively.
As the fifth and final match of the Ashes series approaches on January 4, both Starc and Brook will be aiming for the top position in their respective categories.