Matt Henry ends this 36-year-old drought for New Zealand (Tests)
What's the story
The latest ICC Men's Test Player Rankings have seen a major shake-up, thanks to the second Test match between England and New Zealand at The Oval. New Zealand pacer Matt Henry has made history by becoming the third Kiwi player to top the Test bowling rankings. He joins India's Jasprit Bumrah at the top after his 11-wicket haul in the second Test against England. Both pacers now own 870 rating points.
Spell
Henry's sensational show in 2nd Test
In the first innings of the aforementioned Oval game, Henry picked up five wickets for 80 runs. His efforts helped restrict the hosts to 291 runs against New Zealand's first innings score of 391. In the fourth innings, England were given a daunting target of 463 runs. The hosts fell short by 253 runs as Henry took six wickets for just 29 runs in the second innings. His match figures read 11/109 in 42.1 overs.
Milestone
Third New Zealander to top Test bowling rankings
Henry's incredible performance helped New Zealand level their three-match World Test Championship series with England at 1-1. The pacer now joins Jack Cowie (1947) and Richard Hadlee (1984-1990) as the only New Zealanders to have achieved this feat. Hence, Henry became the first Kiwi bowler in 36 years to top the ICC Test bowling rankings. His current points tally of 870 is only behind Hadlee's peak of 909 among NZ bowlers (Tests).
Ranking shift
Joe Root returns as top-ranked Test batter
In another major development, England veteran Joe Root has reclaimed his position as the No.1 ranked Test batter after his performance against New Zealand at The Oval. Despite England's 253-run defeat in London, Root's scores of 46 and 77 were enough to see him gain two places and reclaim the top spot for the 12th time in his illustrious career.
Player movement
Gains for New Zealand batters after historic win in England
Following their historic win in England, several New Zealand batters made significant gains. Rachin Ravindra (up two places to 10th), Daryl Mitchell (up five rungs to 16th), Glenn Phillips (up eight spots to 31st) and Henry Nicholls (up 13 slots to 40th) all improved their rankings after impressive performances with the bat.