India’s fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Test rankings, surpassing Ravichandran Ashwin on October 2. Bumrah’s rise to No.1 comes after his stellar performance in the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, where he bowled 49 overs and claimed 11 wickets, matching Ashwin’s tally. However, Bumrah’s impressive bowling average of 12.82 outshone the veteran spinner.
Bumrah had previously achieved the No.1 rank in February 2024 during the India-England Test series, when he also replaced Ashwin. He became the first Indian pacer to top the Test bowling rankings, with Kapil Dev previously being the highest-ranked India pacer, holding the second spot from December 1979 to February 1980. Zaheer Khan also reached the third spot in late 2010.
While Ashwin performed excellently in the Bangladesh series, taking 11 wickets and scoring a century, he currently trails Bumrah by just one point in the Test bowlers’ rankings. With India set to play New Zealand and Australia in upcoming series, a close competition between the two is expected.
Bumrah has been in exceptional form, leading the wicket-takers’ list for 2024 with 38 wickets at a strike rate of 14.42. Sri Lanka’s Prabath Jayasuriya also has 38 wickets but a higher strike rate. Reflecting on his season after the Bangladesh series, Bumrah expressed his hope to feature in all of India’s remaining Test matches this year, including the three-match series against New Zealand and the much-anticipated five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
