Labuschagne knocks Root off top spot in Test batting rankings

Thursday, 23 December 2021 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

LONDON (AFP): Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne has replaced England captain Joe Root at the top of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Test batting rankings.

Marnus Labuschagne

The 27-year-old’s maiden Ashes century at Adelaide helped Australia go 2-0 up in the five-match series against England ahead of the third Test in Melbourne starting on 26 December.

Root, who returned to the number one position in August, has amassed 1,630 runs at an average of 62.69 so far in 2021 and a further 159 in Melbourne would set a new record for a Test batsman in a calendar year.

Labuschagne, the ninth Australian man to cross the 900-point mark in the ICC’s Test batting rankings, is ahead of Root, with Australia’s Steve Smith third, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson fourth and India’s Rohit Sharma fifth in the latest standings published Wednesday.

In the Twenty20 batting rankings, England’s Dawid Malan now shares top spot with Pakistan’s Babar Azam.

Leading ICC Test batting rankings (position, player, country, ranking points): 1. Marnus Labuschagne (AUS) 912 2. Joe Root (ENG)897 3. Steve Smith (AUS)884 4. Kane Williamson (NZL)879 5.