ICC Test Rankings: Rishabh Pant makes huge gains followed by England's man in form Jonny Bairstow

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Rishabh Pant's love affair with red ball cricket is something that has sent many cricket fans and cricketing pundits into a frenzy. His trademark short of hitting sixes with one hand crashing down to the ground while doing so is something that has become his trademark and is unanimously associated with him.

In the recently concluded 5th Test match against England, India was into all sorts of trouble in the first innings with the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Matthew Potts steaming him. After his heroics in the legendary Gabba Test match played in January 2021, Rishabh Pant churned out one of the finest innings played by any Indian wicketkeeper-batsman at Edgbaston. Pant made a blistering 146 runs and stitched a partnership of over 222 runs with Ravindra Jadeja at the other end. He later backed it up with a half-century in the second innings, but unfortunately, he did not receive much support from the other end.

Reaping the results of his performances, Pant achieved his career-best fifth position in the latest ICC Test rankings as announced on Wednesday. In the process, Rishabh Pant has raced way ahead of former India skipper Virat Kohli who dropped out of top 10 for the first time since 2016. ICC has rewarded Pant, courtesy of his two tons and three half centuries in his last six Test innings. The present Indian skipper Rohit Sharma also dropped one place as he missed the crucial Edgbaston Test after he was infected with COVID-19. 

Not just Pant, but English talisman Jonny Bairstow too made notable gains in the ICC Test rankings courtesy of four consecutive tons that he struck (2 against New Zealand and 2 against India). With 923 points, Bairstow climbed 11 places and is now comfortably stationed at number 10 at the ICC Test rankings.

Bairstow has so far scored 1218 runs at an average of 55 with six centuries in the current ICC World Test Championship cycle.

(Inputs from PTI)