Joe Root Nears Kane Williamson in Latest ICC Test Rankings

England's Joe Root narrows the gap to top-ranked Kane Williamson as England players make significant strides in ICC Test Rankings. Root's 32nd Test century and team's dominant win against West Indies fuel the surge. Rankings also see notable improvements for Ben Stokes' side and key performances from West Indies and Namibian players.

England batter Joe Root has moved seven points closer to top-ranked Kane Williamson in the latest ICC Test Rankings, published on Wednesday. England's dominant showing in the second Test against the West Indies has prompted significant gains for several of their key players in the updated ICC Men's Test Player Rankings.

Ben Stokes' team secured a commanding 241-run victory at Trent Bridge, with veteran batter Root delivering his 32nd Test century. Root's stellar performance propelled him to within seven rating points of New Zealand's Williamson, placing him on the brink of reclaiming the top spot in Test batting. Another strong performance in the upcoming third Test in Birmingham could see Root overtake Williamson.

Teammate Harry Brook also made a significant leap up the rankings, moving four spots to a career-best third place, surpassing renowned players like Babar Azam, Daryl Mitchell, Steve Smith, and Rohit Sharma. Fellow England batters Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope also climbed the rankings following strong displays, with West Indies' Kraigg Brathwaite, Joshua Da Silva, and Kavem Hodge making noteworthy advances as well.

England pacer Chris Woakes saw a return to the top 20 bowlers for the first time since September 2021, thanks to his six-wicket haul against the West Indies. Young spinner Shoaib Bashir advanced 18 places to 53rd following an impressive five-wicket haul. West Indies' Jayden Seales also made strides, climbing 10 spots to 34th after claiming six wickets in Nottingham.

The white-ball rankings saw minimal change, though Namibian players made gains on the ODI rankings. Spinner Bernard Scholtz moved to sixth place following his three-wicket performance against Scotland, while captain Gerhard Erasmus climbed to fifth among ODI all-rounders with a strong showing in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 in Dundee.

(With inputs from agencies.)