Following the conclusion of the ICC World Test Championship final between Australia and India, Babar Azam has dropped one spot to the fifth position in the latest update of the ICC Test batsmen rankings.

Travis Head’s impressive century in the first innings of the World Test Championship final has propelled him up the rankings. His score of 163 in the match at The Oval has elevated him three places to join Marnus Labuschagne (1st) and Steve Smith (2nd) in the top three, with a rating of 884.

The last time three batters from the same team occupied the top three positions in the Test rankings was in December 1984 when Gordon Greenidge (810), Clive Lloyd (787), and Larry Gomes (773) from the West Indies formed the top trio.

In the previous update, Joe Root’s rating points decreased from 871 to 861, causing him to slip to the fifth position. Meanwhile, Babar Azam managed to surpass Root with 862 rating points, securing the fourth spot in the ICC Test batsmen rankings.

However, in the latest update, Kane Williamson has now moved to the fourth position with 883 rating points, pushing Babar Azam down to fifth position with 862 rating points.

Head played an attacking innings, facing just 174 balls, during Australia’s counter-attack after being in a precarious position at 76/3. He batted alongside Steve Smith, forming a crucial partnership of 285 runs, which proved to be the turning point of the match.

Alex Carey’s impressive performances with scores of 48 and an unbeaten 66 have also been rewarded with a significant jump of 11 spots. He now occupies the 36th position in the rankings with 592 rating points. Rohit Sharma (729) and Virat Kohli (700) currently hold the 12th and 13th positions, respectively, after the match.

In the bowling rankings, Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has moved up two places to share the sixth position with England’s Ollie Robinson (777). Lyon had limited opportunities to bowl in the first innings but played a crucial role in India’s second innings, taking 4/41 to help Australia secure victory.

Scott Boland has also seen a rise in his rankings, climbing five places to the 36th position (534), while Mohammed Siraj, who had a good performance in the match with figures of 4/108 and 1/80, sits four places behind him.

Ravichandran Ashwin, despite being left out of India’s side for the final, retains the top spot in the rankings with a rating of 860.