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The Australia National Cricket Team came back strong in the second Test against the Bangladesh National Cricket Team at Mackay, winning by an innings and 51 runs to level the series. In the second match, Mitchell Starc was the star for the home side as he dismantled the Bangladesh batting order and has now climbed to the top of the ICC rankings.
He was excellent from the very first ball of the match. After his impressive performance in the second Test match, picking 10 wickets and winning the Player of the Match award, he is currently the No.1 Test bowler in the world. Starc replaces Jasprit Bumrah at the top of the Test bowler rankings.
Mitchell Starc gains No.1 ranking for first time
Mitchell Starc, who has been one of the greatest of the game in red-ball cricket, achieved this milestone for the first time in his glorious career. In the first Test, he was also good with the ball, picking two wickets. However, his side failed to win the Test match. He came back strong in the second match for his side.
Mitchell Starc picked a 6-fer in the first innings. He started with his traditional style, with a wicket off his very first ball of the match, dismissing Shadman Islam for a duck, and he kept the Bangladesh batters on their toes and never let them settle, finishing off with 6/12, which led Australia to bowl the visitors out for 64 runs.
Mitchell Starc replaces Jasprit Bumrah and Matt Henry
In the second innings, Mitchell Starc was breathing fire as he picked four wickets and bowled the Bangla Tigers for 95 runs. He finished off with a spell of 4/39. After his impressive performance, he jumped over Bumrah and New Zealand National Cricket Team pacer Matt Henry to achieve the top position with 872 points.
Bumrah has been rehabbing from an injury he sustained during the England ODI series, which ruled him out of the Test series against Sri Lanka. Thus, he has not had any participation since he last played a Test match against South Africa from November 22 to 26, 2025, at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.
Pat Cummins enters top five
Australia’s captain Pat Cummins has risen one position following his six wickets for the match as he moved to fourth during the clash against Bangladesh, and spinner Nathan Lyon rises two spots to 10th.
England duo Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue have also made movements in the rankings after their match-winning performances against Pakistan in the first Test in Headingley. The duo picked up 16 wickets combined in two innings in a one-sided match in Leeds, with Robinson moving 15 spots to 11th place as Tongue jumped 16 spots to 17th position.
Rishabh Pant equals Shubman Gill
In the batting rankings for India Rishabh Pant have moved six positions to equal with his captain Shubman Gill in the 7th position now both have 711 points as they are featuring in the ongoing Test match against Sri Lanka at Colombo. The rise came after the Southpaw's quickfire 66in the second innings in first Test.
Apart from that England vice-captain Harry Brook remains at top and Joe Root (second), Australia duo Steve Smith is at third and Travis Head at fourth.
