Mitchell Starc has regained the No.1 ranking in the ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings — another feather in his cap for an already illustrious international career. The 36-year old left arm pacer returned to the top after a fine performance against South Africa in Cape Town in the third and final Test.
The ICC announced the latest rankings update on November 4, 2026. Starc had a career-best rating of 881 points and moved ahead of South African all-rounder Marco Jansen who had briefly been at number one just a week earlier.
Starc's Nine-Wicket Performance Makes the Difference
Starc was a major contributor for Australia in the Cape Town Test taking nine wickets across both innings. He took six wickets for 72 runs in the first innings before adding three more wickets for 65 in the second innings.
His performance helped him pip Jansen to the top of the rankings in the latest list. The Australian pacer was also the leading wicket-taker in the three match series with 15 wickets.
Starc’s individual success wasn’t enough for Australia to win the final Test by 176 runs; South Africa won the series 2-1 so the result was a memorable team achievement for the hosts even though Starc bowled well.
Marco Jansen's Brief Stay at the Top
Marco Jansen had made history by becoming the first bowler to top the ICC Test Bowling Rankings for the first time ever after his brilliant showing in the second Test against Australia at Gqeberha.
His six wickets helped him to overtake Starc in the previous rankings update but Jansen picked up only three wickets in Cape Town Test and allowed the Australian fast bowler back into the lead.
While he lost the number one spot among bowlers, Jansen remains a major player in international cricket and is high up in Test all-rounder rankings.
Starc's 20 Test Five-Wicket Hauls
One of the most impressive things about Starc’s career is that he takes wickets in all conditions. He has now taken 20 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket, ahead of a lot of active fast bowlers.
India’s Jasprit Bumrah has 16 Test five-wicket hauls, South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada 17. Those numbers show just how experienced and long-standing the Australian pacer is in the longest format.
Starc’s ability to create pace, swing the new ball and produce dangerous deliveries with the older ball has made him one of Australia’s most reliable bowlers.
Jasprit Bumrah Remains in the Rankings Conversation
Jasprit Bumrah of India is also in the list of top names in Test bowling rankings. In the latest discussion on rankings he was fifth with 853 points.
Bumrah’s consistency, accuracy and ability to perform in difficult conditions remain reasons why he is one of the most respected fast bowlers in world cricket.
Another Major Achievement for Starc
Starc’s return to the top shows how old he is and how much Australian cricket values him at 36 he can still produce match-winning performances against some of the strongest batting line-ups in world cricket.
With the ICC rankings update, Starc is back on top of the world Test bowler list again. His rivalry with Jansen, Bumrah and other international pace bowlers will be part of cricket season still to come.
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