Joe Root storms back to No. 1 in ICC Test rankings
Root has scored centuries in both matches that England have played against New Zealand in the ongoing three-match series between the two sides. The second of those centuries was scored in just 115 balls, making it Root's fastest ton thus far. He was eventually dismissed after scoring 175 runs off 211 balls.
England's Joe Root has stormed back to the top spot in the ICC's Test rankings. Root has become a prime candidate to break Sachin Tendulkar's record for most runs in Test cricket thanks to his extraordinary form. He recently scored his 27th Test century and became just the second England player after Alastair Cook to score over 10,000 runs in the longest format of the game before that.
Root has scored centuries in both matches that England have played against New Zealand in the ongoing three-match series between the two sides. The second of those centuries was scored in just 115 balls, making it Root's fastest ton thus far. He was eventually dismissed after scoring 175 runs off 211 balls.
Root now has a total of 897 rating points, five points more than Australia's Marnus Labuschagne in second place.
In the Test bowling rankings, Kiwi quick Kyle Jamieson dropped three places to sixth after he injured his back against England. That allowed India speedster Jasprit Bumrah (third), Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi (fourth) and South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada (fifth) to all rise a spot, while a pair of Jamieson's New Zealand team-mates swapped positions inside the top 10.