Brook rockets to No.2 as Starc, Boland shine

England’s dramatic win in the Boxing Day Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) not only ended their 18-match winless streak in Australia but also shook up the latest ICC Test rankings. The pacers dominated on a fast, bouncy MCG pitch, taking all 36 wickets as the match concluded within two days, leaving a mark on individual rankings.

Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc rose to a career-best joint-second position alongside Pakistan’s Noman Ali, thanks to four wickets in the match. Starc has been in red-hot form throughout the series, taking 26 wickets in four Tests at an average of 17.42, including a best of 7/58. Fellow Australian pacer Scott Boland also impressed, claiming five wickets and climbing two spots to seventh in the rankings with 810 points. While Cummins ranked 4th with 841

England’s bowlers were equally impactful. Josh Tongue, named Player of the Match for his 5/45 and 2/44, secured his first five-wicket haul in a Boxing Day Test at Melbourne this century, rising 13 places to 30th in the bowling rankings. Returning pacer Gus Atkinson took three crucial wickets, including that of Travis Head, climbing four spots to 13th. Atkinson also contributed 28 runs in 35 balls in England’s first innings, boosting him to eighth in the all-rounder rankings, while skipper Ben Stokes retained third with 316 points. Brydon Carse added to England’s success with a six-spot jump to 23rd after a five-wicket match haul.

On the batting front, England’s Harry Brook moved up three spots to second in the Test rankings, scoring a crucial 41 and an unbeaten 18 to secure the chase. Brook now trails only Joe Root (867 points) at the top. Meanwhile, Australian batsmen Steve Smith(5th) and Travis Head(4th), along with New Zealand’s Kane Williamson(3rd), slipped down the rankings as a result of Brook’s stellar performance.

The Boxing Day Test highlighted the dominance of fast bowling in Australia and confirmed England’s renewed edge in the Ashes, while reshaping the ICC Test rankings across batting and bowling charts.