Labuschagne, Starc reach career bests in Test rankings

Marnus Labuschagne has overtaken David Warner as Australia’s second-ranked Test batsman, while Mitchell Starc has achieved a career high in the latest ICC Test rankings.

Labuschagne has moved into fifth spot on the batting rankings, up three positions, after scoring his third consecutive hundred, in the first Domain Test against New Zealand in Perth.

Labuschagne now sits behind just India’s Virat Kohli, teammate Steve Smith, Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson and India’s Cheteshwar Pujara on the batting rankings and his latest gain has relegated Warner to seventh.

Starc, meanwhile, has moved up to fifth spot in the bowling rankings after continuing his golden summer with a nine-wicket haul in Perth.

The left-armer vaulted into the top five, up from 14th spot, and now sits behind only teammate Pat Cummins, South African Kagiso Rabada, Kiwi Neil Wagner – who has moved up to third – and West Indian skipper Jason Holder.

Starc was last ranked fifth in the world in March 2018 while his current ratings points tally of 806 is also a career best, topping the 805 points he was on three years ago.

Nathan Lyon has also moved up two spots to 19th, meaning each of Australia’s four bowlers from the Perth Test are ranked in the top 10. Josh Hazlewood, who suffered a potentially series-ending injury during the match, is ranked seventh.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Babar Azam moved up four spots to ninth in the batting rankings meaning he’s in the top 10 in the Test, ODI (third) and T20 (first) rankings.

ICC Test battings rankings

1) Virat Kohli – 928 points

2) Steve Smith – 911

3) Kane Williamson – 864

4) Chestehswar Pujara – 791

5) Marnus Labuschagne – 786

6) Ajinkya Rahane – 759

7) David Warner – 755

8) Joe Root – 752

9) Babar Azam – 728

10) Dimuth Karunaratne – 725

ICC Test bowling rankings

1) Pat Cummins – 898 points

2) Kagiso Rabada – 839

3) Neil Wagner – 834

4) Jason Holder – 830

5) Mitchell Starc – 806

6) Jasprit Bumrah – 794

7) Josh Hazlewood – 785

8) Vernon Philander – 783

9) Jimmy Anderson – 782

10) Tim Southee - 780

Domain Test Series v New Zealand

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

New Zealand: Todd Astle, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson (c)

First Test: Australia won by 296 runs in Perth

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG (Seven, Fox & Kayo)

Third Test: January 3-7, SCG (Seven, Fox & Kayo)