While the opening Test at Headingley belonged to England on the scoreboard, it was also a match that elevated individual brilliance, none more so than Rishabh Pant and Ben Duckett, who have both touched career-highs in the ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings.
Rishabh Pant attains 801 points
Rishabh Pant, who almost single-handedly kept India afloat in the Leeds Test, has climbed to 7th in the latest Test batting rankings with 801 rating points, his joint-best ever. Back in 2022, after his superb ton against England in Birmingham, Pant attained 801 points as well, and he ranked fifth at that time.
The dynamic wicketkeeper-batter scripted history by becoming the first Indian gloveman to score centuries in both innings of a Test match, registering 134 and 118. Pant’s second-innings effort, coming under immense scoreboard pressure, was a trademark counterattack, featuring fierce sweeps and reverse sweeps off Shoaib Bashir, and a fearless charge that kept England’s bowlers guessing.
He also surpassed MS Dhoni to become the highest-scoring Indian wicketkeeper in Tests on English soil and joined an elite group including Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli to score centuries in both innings of a Test. Remarkably, only Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower had achieved the same feat as a wicketkeeper in Test history before him.
Ben Duckett deserves plaudits
On the winning side, Ben Duckett’s fireworks saw him leap to a career-best 8th spot in the rankings, just behind Pant. The left-hander scored a breezy 62 in the first innings, but it was his commanding 149 in the fourth innings chase that broke India’s back. It was the cornerstone of England’s record pursuit of 371 and earned him the Player of the Match award too.
Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal retained his 4th spot with 851 points, Shubman Gill re-entered the top 20, and KL Rahul climbed ten places to 38th. Alongside Pant and Duckett, Ollie Pope rose three spots to 19th after his gritty first-innings century, while Jamie Smith, with scores of 40 and 44, surged eight places to a career-best 27th. Among bowlers, Josh Tongue jumped 16 spots to 64th following his seven-wicket haul, and Ben Stokes improved in both departments as he is now 49th among bowlers and 5th among Test all-rounders.
Top 10 ICC-ranked Test batters ft. Pant
| Pos | Team | Player | Rating | Career Best Rating | Opponent | Ground | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | Joe Root | 889 | 932 | Pakistan | Multan | 2024 |
| 2 | England | Harry Brook | 874 | 898 | New Zealand | Wellington | 2024 |
| 3 | NZ | Kane Williamson | 867 | 919 | Pakistan | Christchurch | 2021 |
| 4 | India | Yashasvi Jaiswal | 851 | 854 | Australia | Melbourne | 2024 |
| 5 | AUS | Steve Smith | 824 | 947 | South Africa | Durban | 2018 |
| 6 | SA | Temba Bavuma | 806 | 806 | Australia | Lord’s | 2025 |
| 7 | India | Rishabh Pant | 801 | 801 | England | Headingley | 2025 |
| 8 | ENG | Ben Duckett | 787 | 787 | India | Headingley | 2025 |
| 9 | SL | Kamindu Mendis | 784 | 784 | Bangladesh | Galle | 2025 |
| 10 | PAK | Saud Shakeel | 739 | 764 | South Africa | Centurion | 2024 |
