Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has ascended to the pinnacle of ICC Test bowling rankings for the first time in his career, an announcement from Dubai confirmed on August 27, 2026. His dominant 10-wicket performance in MacKay against Bangladesh propelled him past India's Jasprit Bumrah, ending the Indian bowler's two-month reign at the top.
Starc, a 36-year-old left-armer, spearheaded Australia's innings and 51-run victory in the second ICC World Test Championship series match. He secured exceptional figures of six for 12 and four for 39. This display not only earned him Player of the Match and Player of the Series accolades but also positioned him 10 rating points ahead of both Matt Henry and the now second-ranked Jasprit Bumrah. Starc's previous career high was second place, first achieved after last year's Boxing Day Test.
Jasprit Bumrah, unfortunately sidelined from India's ongoing series against Sri Lanka due to injury, concludes his latest stint as the world's top Test bowler. Despite this, his cumulative 697 days at number one stands as the most by any Indian bowler and the 14th highest overall in Test history.
Among other significant movements, England's Ollie Robinson climbed 15 spots to 11th after his Player of the Match winning haul of five for 51 and three for 39 against Pakistan in Leeds, leading to an innings and 103-run triumph. Teammate Josh Tongue, who also claimed eight wickets at Headingley, advanced 16 places to 17th.
From the Indian camp, left-arm spinner Manav Suthar saw a remarkable jump of 28 places to a career-best 48th, following his 10-wicket contribution in India's 165-run win over Sri Lanka in Galle. M. Prasidh Krishna also gained two spots, reaching 53rd. Sri Lankan bowlers Asitha Fernando and Prabath Jayasuriya each moved up five places to 15th and 16th respectively. Further gains include Nathan Lyon (Australia) to 10th, Ali Usman (Pakistan) to 67th, Jofra Archer (England) to joint-38th, and Shoriful Islam (Bangladesh) to 57th.
In the Test batting rankings, England's Harry Brook solidified his lead over teammate Joe Root, now ahead by 24 rating points. Brook top-scored with 90, while Root contributed 66. India's wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant made a welcome return to the top 10, securing seventh place after a year-long absence, thanks to scores of 39 and 66 in recent outings. K.L. Rahul moved five places to 30th, and Devdutt Padikkal re-entered the rankings at 59th. Other notable advancements include Cameron Green (Australia) to 21st, Dhananjaya de Silva (Sri Lanka) to 22nd, Sonal Dinusha (Sri Lanka) to 54th, and Abdullah Shafique (Pakistan) to joint-27th.
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📰 Source: Siasat Gulf