Marnus Labuschagne’s aggregate of 308 runs in the first Test against West Indies has lifted him past Joe Root to the top of Test batting rankings.
Labuschagne scored 204 and 104* in Perth, becoming just the eighth player to record a century and a double-ton in the same Test. The knocks gave him 50 rating points, helping him regain his position at the top of the rankings table for the first time since June this year. He rises to 935 rating points, just one behind his previous best of 936. Another solid showing in the second Test, starting tomorrow, can well take him past the likes of Virat Kohli and Viv Richards, who have all-time highs of 937 and 938 respectively.
Root, with scores of 23 and 73 in the run-fest in Rawalpindi, did not just lose his place at the top – he dropped three places to fourth position, with Steven Smith and Babar Azam in second and third respectively. Smith hit an unbeaten 200 and 20 against West Indies, while Babar got 136 and 4 in Rawalpindi.
On the bowling front, James Anderson zoomed into the top three after snaring five wickets on a tough bowling track in Rawalpindi. His bowling partner, Ollie Robinson, the Player of the Match for his own match haul of five, jumped seven spots to enter the top ten in eighth position.
Pat Cummins continues to lead the charts, but that could change with the Australia captain set to miss the second Test against West Indies due to a quad strain.
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite is back in the top 20 among batters after scores of 64 and 110 against Australia, while Pakistan opener Abdullah Shafique moved up five places to 15th with 114 and 6 against England.
