Australia script unique record after 39 years, continue to dominate after WTC 2023 Final

Why You Are Reading This: The Pat Cummins-led Australian side entered the ICC World Test Championship 2023 Final against India as the no. 2 ranked team in the world. They finished the marquee clash as winners by 209 runs, courtesy of a sensational display of cricket both by the batters and the bowlers. Revealing the latest ICC Test rankings on Wednesday, the world cricket governing body noted a unique record scripted by the Aussies.

3 Things You Need To Know: 

• Australia dominated the WTC final with the bat, courtesy of Steve Smith and Travis Head’s centuries
• The India vs Australia clash marked the end of the World Test Championship 2021-23 cycle
• Australia face England in the Ashes 2023 series from June 16 onwards

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Australia achieve a unique milestone, becomes first team since 1984 to do so

In the latest Men’s Test Batting Rankings released by the ICC, Marnus Labuschagne continues to lead the table, with two of his teammates joining him at the top. Courtesy of his century in the first innings, Steve Smith jumped a place to second in the rankings with 885 rating points to his credit. Moreover, Travis Head made the biggest jump of all and now finds himself third in the table with 884 rating points, courtesy of his 163-run knock against India in the first innings.

Meanwhile, as per ICC, this is the first time in 39 years that three batsmen from the same country occupied the top three places in the Test rankings. The last time such a thing happened was in December 1984. It was the Caribbean trio of Gordon Greenidge (810), Clive Lloyd (787), and Larry Gomes (773) who formed the top three players in the Test batting rankings.

Announcing the latest rankings on Wednesday, the ICC said, “Alex Carey's exploits (48 and 66*) were also rewarded with a jump of 11 spots, moving to 36th with 592 ranking points. Rohit Sharma (729) and Virat Kohli (700) sit in 12th and 13th respectively after the match”.

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More Aussie players in the top 10 ICC rankings

In the meantime, Usman Khawaja is the fourth batter to be in the Top 10 batting rankings with 777 rating points. Nathan Lyon made an enormous jump among the bowlers as he moved up two places to find himself on the level with an English bowler. Both Lyon and Robinson now have 777 points to their credit.