Mackay (GNP): Australian paceman Mitchell Starc has reached the summit of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test bowling rankings for the first time in his 15-year career, achieving the milestone after a match-winning 10-wicket haul against Bangladesh in Mackay.
The performance ended Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s 10-month hold on the top spot, with Starc producing one of the most devastating spells of his career to level the series between the two sides.
Starc’s rise to the top ranking was built on a standout display in the second Test against Bangladesh, where he returned figures of 6-12 and 4-39 across the match. His first-innings spell proved especially dominant, as he claimed a five-wicket haul in just 22 deliveries, tearing through Bangladesh’s batting order with pace and swing.
The performance secured a convincing Australian victory that levelled the series and lifted Starc two places up the rankings to 872 rating points, edging past Bumrah by 10 points after the Indian pacer had held the No.1 position since November 2024. Starc had previously climbed as high as No.2 following last year’s Boxing Day Test but had not managed the final step to the top until now.
The Mackay performance also added to a growing list of career milestones for the 36-year-old. His six-wicket haul in the match took him past South African great Dale Steyn’s tally of 439 Test wickets, making him the tenth-highest wicket-taker in Test history and the fifth-highest among fast bowlers.
That milestone followed closely on the heels of another, as Starc had already become the most prolific left-arm bowler in Test history during the first Test in Darwin, surpassing Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath’s 433 wickets. Starc now holds 445 Test wickets overall and is also the leading wicket-taker in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle, with 58 wickets from 10 Tests.
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Reaching the No.1 ranking comes 15 years after Starc’s Test debut in 2011, capping a career built on extreme pace, sharp reverse swing, and a dangerous yorker that has made him a consistent match-winner across conditions. His achievement is widely regarded as a fitting reward for a fast bowler who has continued delivering under pressure while sustaining his fitness and effectiveness well into his mid-30s.
Elsewhere in the latest rankings update, England’s Harry Brook retained the No.1 spot in Test batting, extending his lead over teammate Joe Root to 24 rating points. India’s Rishabh Pant returned to the top 10 for the first time in a year, climbing six places to seventh after scores of 39 and 66 against Sri Lanka, while Australia’s Cameron Green rose nine places to 21st. In the all-rounder standings, India’s Ravindra Jadeja continued to lead the combined rankings.
