England skipper Joe Root has climbed to the second spot in the latest ICC Test rankings for batsmen after playing a stellar role in the second Test in Lord's. He smashed a sensational unbeaten 180 in the first innings to ensure England a 27 runs first-innings lead, a contribution that went in vain as England went down on the final day of the Test match to surrender a 0-1 lead to India.
Root has been quite phenomenal in the season so far already scoring five centuries and is breathing down the neck of New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson who is currently the top-ranked batsman in the longest format of the game. Root with 893 rating points is just eight behind Williamson. He has been head and shoulders above any other batsman in the English team having made another brilliant ton in the opening Test at Nottingham.
Meanwhile, KL Rahul who was awarded the Player of the Match gained 19 spots to occupy the 37th spot after a sensational knock of 127 in the first innings. Being tipped as a middle-order backup for the series, Rahul has made the opening spot his very own with a brilliant 80 odd in the first Test and a brilliant century in Lords.
Among bowlers to make gains from this Test includes magic man James Anderson who climbed one spot to occupy the 6th position. Anderson continues to lead the English attack and bagged a fifer in the first innings of the Lord's Test while going wicketless in the second.
Mohammed Siraj and Mark Wood also made significant gains and is currently occupying the 38th and 37th position respectively. While Wood gained five spots, Siraj took a leap of 18 places to occupy the 38th position. Siraj proved to be India's match-winner on the final day bagging four important wickets. He finished with a match haul of 8/128.