Joe Root Reclaims No. 1 Test Ranking as England’s Modern Great Keeps Defying Time

Joe Root is back where modern Test cricket has often placed him: at the top.

The latest ICC Men’s Test batting rankings have returned Root to the No. 1 position, marking another milestone in a career already packed with records, endurance, and rare consistency. His rise comes after England’s second Test against New Zealand at The Oval, where Root scored 46 and 77 in a losing cause but did enough to overtake teammate Harry Brook and Australia’s Travis Head.

This is Root’s 12th stint as the world’s top-ranked Test batter. That detail matters because it tells the real story of his career. Root has kept returning to the summit across different cycles of English cricket, different batting partners, different tactical eras, and different pressures.

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Why Root’s Return to No. 1 Matters

ICC rankings reward current performance, match context, opposition quality, and consistency over time. Root’s move back to No. 1 has come at a moment when the top of the Test batting table is highly competitive.

Harry Brook has been England’s most explosive Test batting force in recent years. Travis Head has transformed into one of Australia’s most dangerous red-ball match-winners. Steve Smith remains one of the greatest Test batters of the modern era. Kamindu Mendis and Temba Bavuma have climbed through strong national performances. Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal represent India’s new red-ball batting generation.

Root’s rise above that field confirms something simple: his game still travels across formats of pressure. He can bat through collapses, rebuild innings, rotate strike, punish loose bowling, and control tempo without needing the whole innings to revolve around aggression.

England’s current Test style often attracts attention because of pace, risk, attacking fields, and rapid scoring. Root remains the balancing figure. He can play the modern English tempo when required, but his strongest value is still rooted in judgment. He reads sessions. He manages bowlers. He understands when the game asks for patience, control, and discipline.

That is why his ranking return carries more meaning than a number beside his name.

Root’s 14,000-Run Context Adds Historic Weight

Root’s latest ranking rise arrived in the same period he crossed 14,000 Test runs, becoming only the second player in history to reach the landmark after Sachin Tendulkar.

We recently explored that milestone in detail in Joe Root Reaches 14,000 Test Runs: Records, Schedule and the Road to Sachin.

That achievement changes the conversation around him.

For years, Root was discussed as part of the modern “Fab Four” generation with Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson. That comparison still has value, but Root’s Test career has now moved into a different statistical zone. He is chasing the all-time Test run record, not just modern-era bragging rights.

The most impressive part of Root’s scoring record is how normal he has made heavy run-making look. He rarely appears theatrical. He rarely carries the aura of a destructive power batter. Yet over long periods, he keeps stacking runs in different conditions, against different attacks, and across different phases of England’s Test identity.

His record also reflects durability. Test batting demands skill, but long careers demand appetite. Root has kept returning to the crease with the same hunger even after captaincy pressure, team transitions, criticism of England’s results, and tactical debates around his role.

The Oval Subplot: Root, Henry and a Strange Build-Up to History

Root’s rise to No. 1 also carried a strange match story.

In the first innings at The Oval, he was dismissed for 46 by Matt Henry, leaving him two runs short of the 14,000-run milestone. The moment became even more unusual because of the bee distraction before the dismissal, which we covered in Did a Bee Break Joe Root’s Focus Before Matt Henry Struck?.

Root returned in the second innings and scored 77. England still suffered a heavy defeat, but Root’s personal position strengthened. His runs helped him reclaim the top batting spot, while Henry’s 11-wicket match haul pushed the New Zealand seamer to joint No. 1 in the ICC Test bowling rankings.

That gave the rankings update a rare double storyline: Root back on top with the bat, Henry rising to the bowling summit after dominating England.

For match context, read our report on New Zealand forcing a series decider with a crushing win over England in the second Test.

Latest ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings: Top 20

Rank	Batter	Country	Rating
1	Joe Root	England	871
2	Harry Brook	England	866
3	Travis Head	Australia	853
4	Steve Smith	Australia	831
5	Kamindu Mendis	Sri Lanka	781
6	Temba Bavuma	South Africa	775
7	Shubman Gill	India	743
8	Yashasvi Jaiswal	India	733
9	Dinesh Chandimal	Sri Lanka	717
10	Rachin Ravindra	New Zealand	715
11	Alex Carey	Australia	706
12	Rishabh Pant	India	705
13	Pathum Nissanka	Sri Lanka	685
14	Aiden Markram	South Africa	681
14	Mushfiqur Rahim	Bangladesh	681
16	Daryl Mitchell	New Zealand	674
17	Ben Duckett	England	669
18	Sean Williams	Zimbabwe	668
19	Mohammad Rizwan	Pakistan	665
20	Babar Azam	Pakistan	663

Prominent Names Around Root in the Top 20

The top 20 list shows how diverse Test batting has become.

England and Australia still hold major power near the top through Root, Brook, Head, Smith, Alex Carey, and Ben Duckett. That tells its own story about the modern Test game. Both countries still produce batters who can dominate long-format cricket while adapting to faster scoring demands.

India’s next red-ball batting wave is visible through Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rishabh Pant. Gill and Jaiswal represent India’s newer top-order direction, while Pant remains one of the most disruptive Test batters in world cricket when fit and available.

Sri Lanka also has a strong presence, with Kamindu Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, and Pathum Nissanka inside the leading group. Mendis, in particular, has become one of the most interesting red-ball batters in the world because of his rapid rise and composure under pressure.

South Africa’s Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram remain central to their batting identity, while New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell keep the Black Caps represented in the upper half.

Pakistan fans will notice Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam at No. 19 and No. 20. Babar’s position reflects a period where his Test ranking no longer matches his peak reputation, but his presence in the top 20 still keeps him inside the elite conversation. We recently explored his wider standing in Babar Azam: A Tribute Pakistan’s Greatest Ever Batter Deserves.

Latest ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings: Top 10

Rank	Bowler	Country	Rating
1	Matt Henry	New Zealand	870
1	Jasprit Bumrah	India	870
3	Mitchell Starc	Australia	838
4	Pat Cummins	Australia	832
5	Marco Jansen	South Africa	825
6	Scott Boland	Australia	820
7	Noman Ali	Pakistan	817
8	Kagiso Rabada	South Africa	807
9	Josh Hazlewood	Australia	775
10	Nathan Lyon	Australia	753

Matt Henry Joins Bumrah at the Top

Matt Henry’s rise to joint No. 1 is one of the biggest stories of the latest rankings update.

His 11-wicket match haul against England pushed him level with Jasprit Bumrah on 870 points. For New Zealand cricket, that is a major achievement because Henry has reached a rating level rarely touched by Kiwi bowlers outside the Richard Hadlee era.

The top 10 also shows Australia’s remarkable bowling depth. Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon all sit inside the top 10. That is not just a ranking detail. It explains why Australia continue to carry one of the most complete Test attacks in world cricket.

Pakistan’s Noman Ali at No. 7 is also important. In a list dominated by fast bowlers and Australia’s established attack, his presence highlights the continued value of high-quality left-arm spin in Test cricket.

Latest ICC Men’s Test All-Rounder Rankings: Top 10

Rank	All-Rounder	Country	Rating
1	Ravindra Jadeja	India	446
2	Marco Jansen	South Africa	344
3	Mehidy Hasan Miraz	Bangladesh	290
4	Mitchell Starc	Australia	284
5	Ben Stokes	England	282
6	Pat Cummins	Australia	250
7	Gus Atkinson	England	248
8	Wiaan Mulder	South Africa	245
9	Washington Sundar	India	244
10	Joe Root	England	210

Jadeja Still Leads the All-Rounders

Ravindra Jadeja remains the clear No. 1 Test all-rounder, which reflects his long-standing value as a wicket-taking spinner, lower-order batter, and elite fielder. Marco Jansen’s No. 2 position shows how quickly he has become a major multi-skill asset for South Africa.

England have three names in the top 10: Ben Stokes, Gus Atkinson, and Joe Root.

Stokes remains central to England’s red-ball identity, even during a difficult period around leadership, availability, and scrutiny. We recently looked at that wider issue in Ben Stokes’ Captaincy Future Uncertain After Fresh Off-Field Controversy.

Root’s presence at No. 10 is particularly interesting because he is primarily judged as a batter. His off-spin has become increasingly useful in certain conditions, and that secondary skill keeps adding value to his Test profile.

What Root’s No. 1 Ranking Says About Test Cricket Now

Root’s return to No. 1 says Test cricket still rewards the complete batter.

Power matters. Strike rate matters. Tactical aggression matters. But Test batting still gives its highest respect to players who can repeat performance across time. Root has built his greatness through repeatability. He does not need every innings to become a headline. He only needs enough innings to keep bending the long-term record book.

His latest rise also creates a fascinating England subplot. Root and Brook are teammates, but they are also direct rivals for the No. 1 Test batting spot. The Yorkshire pair have exchanged the top position several times, and that competition gives England a rare luxury.

Brook brings the shock value. Root brings the historical weight.

Together, they give England two batters capable of defining a Test match in different ways.

Final Word

Joe Root’s return to the top of the ICC Test batting rankings is another reminder that his career is still moving, still relevant, and still historically alive.

At 14,000-plus Test runs, with another No. 1 ranking stint added to his name, Root has reached a rare stage where every innings now carries two battles. One is for England in the present. The other is against history.

For now, he is back at No. 1. Given the way he keeps returning there, it would be brave to assume this is the last time.