Jasprit Bumrah dethrones Rabada to become world's number one Test bowler

India’s Jasprit Bumrah has reclaimed the number one ranking in Test cricket, dethroning South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada on the back of a stellar, match-winning showing in the first Test against Australia in Perth, registering match figures of 8/72. 

Bumrah, who began the Perth Test as the third-ranked bowler in the world behind Rabada and Josh Hazlewood, now sits atop the bowlers’ rankings with an 11-point lead.

It’s the third time Bumrah has claimed the top spot in the bowlers’ Test rankings this year, first achieving it in February in the series against England before going top once again in October before losing the spot to Rabada. The 883 points Bumrah has achieved is now his career-best rating.

But while Bumrah has risen, it’s not been a good week for the Australian bowlers, with all of Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon falling in the rankings, dropping at least one spot each. Hazlewood (third) still finds himself in the top three but Cummins has fallen two spots to sixth, while Starc sits at 12th. Starc is the only Australian ‘big four’ bowler outside the top ten, as Lyon still finds himself eighth despite dropping down one spot.

There’s a delight for team India on the batting front, too, as Yashasvi Jaiswal is the new number two-ranked batter in the world. The stunning 161 he scripted in the second innings in Perth has seen the 22-year-old leapfrog both Kane Williamson and Harry Brook and attain a career-best ranking. He is now 78 rating points shy of the top-ranked Joe Root (903). 

Virat Kohli, who moved out of the top 20 earlier this month, has jumped nine spots to 13th following his ton in Perth and is on the verge of breaking into the top ten again, just 24 rating points behind Travis Head (10th). Usman Khawaja (12th) has dropped out of the top ten following two failures in Perth while Steve Smith has dropped two spots and now finds himself seventh. 

Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis (9th) has broken into the top ten and is now breathing down the neck of Smith, only 10 points shy of the Aussie legend. Mendis could potentially surpass Smith and even break into the top five should he produce a stellar showing in the ongoing first Test against South Africa in Durban.

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