Australia's premier pacer Mitchell Starc has climbed to the world No. 2 spot in the latest ICC Test bowlers rankings released on Wednesday, December 31. The left-arm pace maestro earned this promotion following a dominant performance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where he took four wickets across two innings in the Boxing Day Test. With 843 rating points now to his name, Starc continues to be a cornerstone of the Australian pace attack.
Mitchell Starc nears Jasprit Bumrah at the summit of ICC Test bowling rankings
Despite Starc’s rise, India’s pace juggernaut maintains a firm grip on the world No. 1 ranking. The 32-year-old currently leads the pack with 879 rating points. Given his surge and consistent form, it is highly unlikely that he will be displaced from the top position in the immediate future.
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The rankings also saw notable movement among other elite Australian bowlers. Captain Pat Cummins slipped two positions to 4th place after sitting out the Boxing Day Test. However, his absence was balanced by the continued rise of Scott Boland, who jumped two spots to secure the No. 7 position in the world rankings.
England’s bowling unit has seen significant movement in the latest rankings, led by Gus Atkinson, who climbed four spots to reach 12th in the world. His teammate Brydon Carse also enjoyed a notable rise, jumping six places to secure the 23rd position. However, the most impressive surge came from Josh Tongue; following a five-wicket haul in the first innings of the fourth Ashes Test and a Player of the Match performance at the MCG, he leaped 13 spots to break into the top 30.
Shubman Gill enters top 10
The batting rankings have been equally dynamic, with Harry Brook ascending three places to become the world’s No. 2 Test batter. In contrast, Australian veteran Steve Smith experienced a slight decline, dropping two spots to land in 5th position. His teammate Alex Carey also faced a setback, falling four places in the rankings after a difficult outing with the bat during both innings of the Melbourne Test.
Capitalising on Carey's drop, India’s Test captain Shubman Gill has moved up one position to break into the top 10. This ranking boost serves as a fitting conclusion to a stellar season for Gill, who finished 2025 as the highest run-scorer in the format, further cementing his status as one of the world's premier batters.