ICC Test Rankings: Jasprit Bumrah Overtakes R Ashwin to Become No.1 Bowler
In the latest ICC Test Rankings, India’s fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah replaced Ravichandran Ashwin as the top-ranked bowler on Wednesday, October 2. Bumrah climbed to the No.1 spot following his outstanding performance against Bangladesh in the two-match Test series, where he took 11 wickets.
Bumrah bowled 49 overs across the two Tests, claiming 11 wickets, which matched Ashwin’s tally. However, Bumrah’s bowling average of just 12.82 was significantly better than Ashwin’s. This isn’t the first time Bumrah has achieved this feat. Earlier in February 2024, during the India vs. England Test series, Bumrah had first claimed the top spot, overtaking Ashwin. Notably, Bumrah is the first Indian pacer to become the No.1 Test bowler, surpassing Kapil Dev, who was ranked second between December 1979 and February 1980.
Apart from Bumrah, Zaheer Khan also held the No.3 position in the rankings in October-November 2010.
Ravichandran Ashwin himself had an impressive series with both ball and bat, taking 11 wickets and scoring a century in the two-match series against Bangladesh. He currently stands just one point behind Bumrah in the Test bowlers’ list and is expected to pose a strong challenge in the upcoming months, with India set to play against New Zealand at home followed by Australia away.
Bumrah is currently the highest wicket-taker in Tests this year. Since the beginning of 2024, he has taken 38 wickets at a strike rate of 14.42. Alongside Bumrah, Sri Lanka’s spinner Prabath Jayasuriya has also taken 38 wickets, but his strike rate is much higher than that of the Indian pacer.
Most Wickets in 2024 (stats till October 2):
- Jasprit Bumrah – 38 wickets, Strike Rate: 14.42
- Prabath Jayasuriya – 38 wickets
Speaking after the Bangladesh series, Bumrah talked about the long Test season ahead and expressed his desire to play all of India’s remaining Test matches. India is scheduled to play three Tests against New Zealand, followed by a prestigious five-match series against Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
