Mitchell Starc Overtakes Jasprit Bumrah to Become No. 1 Test Bowler

Australia's premier fast bowler Mitchell Starc has reached the No. 1 position in the ICC Test bowling rankings for the first time in his career, moving ahead of India's Jasprit Bumrah.

Starc's rise comes after a sensational performance against Bangladesh in the second Test of their World Test Championship series.

The 36-year-old left-arm pacer claimed 10 wickets in the match, taking six wickets for just 12 runs in the first innings before returning with four for 39 in the second. His performance helped Australia secure a comprehensive innings-and-51-run victory.

Starc was named Player of the Match as well as Player of the Series after playing a decisive role throughout the contest.

The latest ranking represents a significant milestone for the Australian.

His previous best position was second, which he first achieved after the Boxing Day Test last year. He has now gone one step further and taken the top spot in the Test bowling rankings.

Starc currently holds a 10-point advantage over Bumrah in the rankings. New Zealand's Matt Henry is also among the leading bowlers, but Starc's outstanding performance in Bangladesh allowed him to move to the summit.

Bumrah's latest spell at the top lasted only around two months.

Despite losing the No. 1 position, the Indian fast bowler has enjoyed a remarkable period at the top of the Test rankings. He has spent a combined 697 days as the world's leading bowler, the most by any Indian bowler and the 14th-highest total in the history of the rankings.

Bumrah is currently unavailable for India's ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka because of injury.

The latest rankings also contain several significant movements elsewhere.

England seam bowler Ollie Robinson made one of the biggest jumps among the leading bowlers. After taking eight wickets in England's innings-and-103-run victory over Pakistan in the first Test at Leeds, Robinson climbed 15 places to 11th.

England teammate Josh Tongue also enjoyed a major rise. His eight wickets at Headingley lifted him 16 places to 17th in the rankings.

India's left-arm spinner Manav Suthar recorded a career-best position after taking 10 wickets in India's 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle.

Suthar climbed 28 places to 48th, underlining the impact of his performance in the match.

Sri Lanka's Asitha Fernando and Prabath Jayasuriya each moved up five places, reaching 15th and 16th respectively.

Australia spinner Nathan Lyon also returned to the top 10, climbing two places to 10th.

Pakistan's Ali Usman was another major mover, jumping 30 places to 67th.

Among the fast bowlers, England's Jofra Archer climbed six places to joint-38th, while India's Prasidh Krishna moved up two spots to 53rd. Bangladesh fast bowler Shoriful Islam made one of the biggest gains, rising 17 places to 57th.

There were also notable changes in the Test batting rankings.

England's Harry Brook strengthened his position at the top of the list and now has a 24-point advantage over teammate Joe Root.

Brook scored 90 in England's victory over Pakistan, while Root contributed 66. The pair remain the top two Test batters in the latest rankings.

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant also returned to the top 10 for the first time in a year.

Pant moved up six places to seventh after scores of 39 and 66 in his recent Test appearance.

Several other batters also made progress.

Australia's Cameron Green climbed nine places to 21st, while Sri Lanka's Dhananjaya de Silva moved two places to 22nd.

Sri Lanka's Sonal Dinusha made one of the biggest jumps in the batting rankings, rising 49 places to 54th.

Pakistan's Abdullah Shafique climbed seven spots to joint-27th, while India's KL Rahul moved five places to 30th.

Devdutt Padikkal also returned to the rankings at 59th.

The latest rankings underline the impact of recent Test performances, with several players making significant gains after strong individual displays.

For Starc, however, the update carries particular significance.

The Australian has been one of the leading fast bowlers of his generation, but reaching the No. 1 position in the Test rankings had remained an achievement outside his career record until now.

His 10-wicket performance against Bangladesh finally took him to the summit.

The development also sets up an intriguing contest when Bumrah returns to Test cricket.

Both pacers have established themselves as match-winners at the highest level, and their battle for the top ranking could continue to shift as they play more matches.

For now, Starc sits at the top of the ICC Test bowling rankings, while Bumrah waits for his return from injury.

The Australian's latest achievement is another highlight in an already decorated career and a reward for one of his most dominant Test performances in recent years.