Harry Brook Dethrones Joe Root to Become the New #1 Test Batter

In a remarkable turn of events, England's Harry Brook has ascended to the pinnacle of the ICC Men's Test Batting Rankings as of July 6, 2025. His extraordinary performances in the first two Tests against India propelled him to this position. Brook scored an impressive 99 runs at Headingley and followed it up with 158 and 23 in the two innings at Edgbaston. With a total of 886 rating points, Brook now leads his England teammate Joe Root by 18 points. Root, who had held the top spot for six months, has slipped to second place. Brook had previously held the No. 1 position until December 2024, when Root overtook him. 

Other notable climbers in the rankings include India's Test captain Shubman Gill, who soared to sixth place after his record-breaking double-century and century in the second Test against England. These historic innings saw Gill leap 15 places to a career-best sixth position, with a personal best rating of 807 points. England's wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith also achieved a career-best ranking of 10th place, thanks to his scores of 184* and 88 in the Edgbaston Test. His partnership with Brook rescued England from a precarious position of 84 for 5 in the first innings.

South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder made significant strides in the rankings after his historic 367 against Zimbabwe in the second Test. Mulder climbed 34 places among Test batters to reach 22nd position and also moved up 12 spots in the all-rounders' rankings to third place. India's Ravindra Jadeja continues to lead the all-rounders' rankings.

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Brook's Test career has been nothing short of spectacular. In the ongoing Tendulkar-Anderson trophy, he has scored 280 runs at an average of 70.00, with one century and one half-century. In just 27 Test matches, he has amassed 2,619 runs at an average of 59.52, with nine centuries and 12 half-centuries. His highest score is 317, and he has a strike rate of 87.03. In his first six Test matches, Brook set the record for the fastest to score 800 Test runs in nine innings and became the quickest batter to reach 1,000 Test runs by balls faced.