England's Joe Root Takes Lead As ICC Updates Test Batter Rankings

Star England batter Joe Root became the top batter as the International Cricket Council (ICC) updated player's rankings on Wednesday. "Joe Root's dream run with the bat has helped the England batter to an even bigger lead in the ICC Test Batter Rankings," ICC stated in a statement. Consecutive tons for Root led him to extend his lead atop the ICC Men's Test Batting Rankings. Root (922 rating points) now leads the chart by 63 points over New Zealand's Kane Williamson.

Even after his stupendous performance against Sri Lanka in the second Test, Root was overshadowed by Gus Atkinson, whose Player of the Match efforts with bat and ball led to dramatic jumps across all Ranking disciplines.

After becoming just the third player in Men's Test history to score a century and claim a five-wicket haul at the hallowed venue, Atkinson moved up 48 spots, into the top 20 for All-Rounders, and into the top 30 for bowlers.

Even after conceding defeat two defeats in the three-match series against England, there were positive moves for a number of Sri Lanka players in the latest update in the rankings. Half-centuries for Kamindu Mendis moved him up 11 spots and into 25th (635), while an eight-wicket performance from Asitha Fernando propelled the seamer into the top ten for the first time (8th, 734).

Over in Pakistan, Bangladesh's barnstorming clean sweep series win saw several Tigers gains.

Rescuing Bangladesh's first innings, at one stage in peril at 26/6, Litton Das' 138 helped the team to a first innings 262, and him to a 12-place push to 15th on the batting rankings. His partner in the seventh-wicket partnership of 165, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, moved up to 75th place with the bat, and his figures of 5-61 in Pakistan's first innings pushed him