Rohit Sharma. (Source – BCCI)
For the first time in six years, Rohit Sharma slipped out of the top 30 in the ICC rankings for batters in Test cricket. The 37-year-old batter’s form in the purest format of the game has been disappointing in the 2024-25 season as he has only scored 152 runs from 12 innings at a paltry average of 11.83. He was dismissed for single-digit scores in the second Test between India and Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Meanwhile, former India skipper Virat Kohli has slipped six spots to the 20th position after registering scores of seven and 11 in the second Test. He had come into the encounter on the back of a brilliant century in the first Test in Perth.
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England’s Harry Brook is the new No. 1 Test batter after his scintillating peilrformance against New Zealand in the first two Tests in the three-match series. The right-handed batter has amassed 349 runs in just three innings at a mind-boggling average of 116.33. In his last three innings, the 25-year-old has registered scores of 171, 123 and 55. He replaces former England captain Joe Root at the top of the rankings, who had taken over from Kane Williamson earlier this year in July.
Rohit and Kohli will look to bounce back when India and Australia square off against each other in the third Test at the iconic Gabba in Brisbane, starting on Saturday, December 14. The series is intriguingly poised at 1-1 after Australia’s thumping 10-wicket win in the pink-ball clash last week.
Meanwhile, England have already won the Test series against the Kiwis after winning the first two matches in Christchurch and Wellington. Brook will look to continue his purple patch in the forthcoming encounter. The third and final Test match is set to be played at Seddon Park, Hamilton, beginning on Sunday, December 15.
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