Twitter Reactions ASHES 2023

'Greatest of the modern era' - Fans abuzz as Joe Root becomes number 1 ranked Test batter

Joe Root dislodged Marnus Labuschagne to become the number 1 ranked Test batter. Here's how fans reacted to the update.

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Rohit Kumar
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Joe Root, England

Joe Root, England (Source: Twitter)

Joe Root, former captain of the England Test team, moved up to the first spot in the most recent Test Ranking, which was revealed on Wednesday, thanks to his outstanding performance in the first Ashes Test against Australia at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Joe Root takes the place of Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne, who dropped two spots to third behind Kane Williamson of New Zealand after scoring just 0 and 13 in the first Ashes Test. Virat Kohli, former captain of the Indian Test team, kept losing ground in the Test rankings. With only 700 ranking points, Kohli dropped to 14th place, dropping one position from the previous week.

Labuschagne, a right-hander, rose to the top in December of last year as a result of a successful start to the Australian summer against the West Indies, and he retained that position for just over six months. However, Root's 30th Test century against Australia in the thrilling first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, along with a slow start to 2023 by his lofty standards, has caused a significant shift at the top of the batter rankings.

Rishabh Pant is the only Indian batter in the Top 10 spots

During the first Ashes Test in Birmingham, Root managed scores of 118 not out and 46 in a losing effort, and those outstanding individual performances saw the 32-year-old leap a huge five places and restore his position as the No. 1 ranked Test batter in the world.

Just 26 rating points now separate the top six players in what is one of the closest competitions recently seen. Australians Steve Smith (who slips four spots to sixth place) and Travis Head (who drops one spot to fourth) also lose ground in the race to become the No. 1 Test batter. Rishabh Pant is now ranked 10th in the Test rankings, making the wicketkeeper-batter only Indian batter to be among the top 10. Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Indian Test team, stayed in 12th place with 729 points.

Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, is still ranked fifth in Tests with 862 points. Usman Khawaja, the captain of Australia, was named Player of the Match for his heroics against England. The 36-year-old moved up to seventh place overall and set a new rating for his career. Young gun Harry Brook also earned the highest rating of his brief Test career by moving up five spots to 13th on the most recent Test rankings.

Here's how fans reacted:

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