ICC Test Rankings: Marnus Labuschagne becomes number one batter
What's the story
Australia's Marnus Labuschagne has dethroned Joe Root in the latest ICC Test Rankings.
The prolific batter has been in sensational form in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 series.
He helped Australia win the second Test against England in Adelaide, piling up scores worth 103 and 51.
In the first Test as well, Labuschagne struck a fine 74-run knock at The Gabba.
Here are further details.
Context
Why does it matter?
Labuschagne now has a career-best 912 rating points, surpassing Root (897) who has dropped to the second spot.
Labuschagne had earlier gained two spots to No.2 after scoring 74 in Australia's win in the Brisbane Test.
Root, who got scores of 62 and 24 in the day/night Test in Adelaide, has slipped to second spot for the first time since August.
Ashes 2021-22
A look at Labuschagne in Ashes 2021-22
The first Test match saw Labuschagne step in and stitch a valuable 156-run stand alongside David Warner.
He played a positive knock of 74 from 117 deliveries, hitting six fours and two sixes.
In the day/night Test in Adelaide, Labuschagne struck a fine 103 in the first innings.
He followed that up with a 51-run effort.
He is averaging 76.00 (228 runs).
Bowling
Starc rises to ninth among bowlers
In the ICC Test Rankings for Bowlers, Australia's left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc broke into the top 10 for the first time since January.
Starc, who took six wickets in the second Test, is placed ninth.
He has 768 rating points.
The number one spot is held by Pat Cummins with R Ashwin and Shaheen Afridi following suit.
All-rounders
Root gets to 10th in Test Rankings for All-rounders
Root has broken into the top 10 in the ICC Test Rankings for All-rounders.
He has gained two spots to No.10 after scoring 86 runs and picking three wickets in the second Test.
Root has 225 rating points.
Starc moved to sixth, displacing New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson.
The number one spot is held by Jason Holder with Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja next.
T20Is
Babar goes top of the ICC T20I Rankings
In the ICC T20I Rankings, Pakistan captain Babar Azam is joint-top alongside England's Dawid Malan.
Babar and Malan have 805 rating points each.
Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan, who ended 2021 as the highest scorer in T20Is, has gained one spot to be placed third.
He has 798 rating points and is above Aiden Markram (796), who dropped two spots.