Mitchell Starc becomes number 1 bowler [Source: AFP]The reign of Jasprit Bumrah as the number one ranked Test bowler is over. The legendary Indian paceman was dethroned by none other than Australia’s ageing warhorse Mitchell Starc.Starc recently steamrolled the visiting Bangladeshis with a match-winning ten-wicket haul at MacKay, which including sizzling figures of 6-12 in the first couple of hours of Day 1. Mitchell Starc becomes number 1 bowler for the first timeAustralia’s champion fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who made his international debut back in late-2010 at an age of 20, has finally become the number one ranked bowler in ICC men’s Test charts. The speedster attained the feat for the first time in his career, doing so at a battle-hardened age of 36 no less. Starc blazed past India’s Jasprit Bumrah and New Zealand’s Matt Henry to reach the summit after his devastating spell against Bangladesh.Also Read- Mitchell Starc Joins Elite Club: Bowlers With First-Ball Wicket In 1st Test At A VenueAt the moment, the 36-year-old is sitting at the top of the ICC Men’s Test rankings for bowlers with 872 rating points. His pace rivals Bumrah and Henry, meanwhile, lost a rung each to slip to number two and number three spots with 862 and 861 rating points respectively.Mitchell Starc one of five Australian bowlers in top 10Notably, Mitchell Starc is one of the five Australian bowlers to feature in the top 10 rankings for ICC bowlers in Tests at the moment. He is followed by fellow senior paceman and national captain Pat Cummins at number four. Scott Boland dropped to number seven after missing the Bangladesh Tests, while Josh Hazlewood retained his ninth spot. Legendary off-spinner Nathan Lyon surged into the top 10 rankings at tenth position after climbing two rungs following his three-fer in MacKay.How did Mitchell Starc topple Jasprit BumrahJasprit Bumrah rose to the top of the ICC Test bowling rankings way back in February 2024. The speedster has since maintained his top spot for much of the subsequent two-and-a-half years.However, owing to injury and workload management concerns, Bumrah has not played a single Test match for Team India since taking on South Africa at home last November. He has since missed India’s one-off Test against Afghanistan, and was also ruled out of the two-match tour of Sri Lanka owing to an injury. With Jasprit Bumrah being deprived of Test cricket action for nearly a year, coupled with Mitchell Starc’s ageless ferocity with the ball, the Australian speed demon has capitalised on the opportunity to dethrone the Indian paceman and ascend to the summit of the ICC Test bowling rankings for the first time in his illustrious career.What’s next for Mitchell StarcAfter devastating Bangladesh at home, Starc will now set his sights on South Africa for Australia’s three-match away series this September. The series marks a must-win one for both sides in context of the ongoing 2025-27 WTC cycle.Also Read- Afghanistan Premier League Launched, Start Date To Trouble These Leagues
