Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed unaware of PCB's Lord's Test boyco…

After Day 1 of the second Test between England and Pakistan at the Lord’s, news broke that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had raised an objection to a Sky Sports interview featuring the sons of Imran Khan. The matter escalated very quickly as the board even threatened to boycott the game after the Lunch break and withdraw from the series. However, Sky acted quickly and the video wasn’t shown in Pakistan.

Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian to clinch the Grand Chess Tour title, beating Fabiano Caruana of the US with a stunning comeback win in the grand finale here. umafrika.club

Praggnanandhaa made a remarkable turnaround on Thursday after trailing Caruana by six points at the start of the day at the Saint Louis Chess Club here. The Indian eventually prevailed 15-13 to win his maiden GCT title and pocket USD 200,000 as the winning purse.

The title win also guaranteed Praggnanandhaa a spot in the next year’s Grand Chess Tour along with Caruana, and another American Wesley So, who defeated Vincent Keymer of Germany 18-12 to take the third place. “Honestly, I didn’t think I had many chances today… It’s not every day that you can get one win from Fabi, but to get two, it was important in the rapid,” Praggnanandhaa told Chess.com.

The 21-year-old Chennai lad, who has been mentored by five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, started the day six points behind, but pulled another rabbit out of the hat and took a lead of two points after winning both the rapid games (four points to winner per game).

It was even-stevens in the subsequent four games of blitz, with Praggnanandhaa and Caruana winning one each while the remaining two were drawn. The two-point lead at the end of the rapid games proved decisive for the Indian Grandmaster. The first game of the blitz section was a drawn affair before Caruana won the second to level the scores at 12-12.

A determined Praggnanandhaa prevailed over his opponent in the third game to restore his two-point lead (14-12). Had Caruana won the last blitz game, he would have forced two more games with the peculiar time control, followed by armageddon. But, a draw was enough for Praggnanandhaa to win the match, and he did just that to seal a famous title.

“Congratulations to Praggnanandhaa on winning his first-ever Grand Chess Tour title!” Grand Chess Tour’s official handle posted on X. “Pragg defeats Fabiano Caruana in a thrilling final match to cap off an incredible season and claim the GCT crown for the first time in his career! What a comeback, what a fight, and what a way to become champion!”

Earlier this year, Praggnanandhaa had become the first Indian to win the Norway Chess title, a campaign that featured two wins over world number one and tournament favourite Magnus Carlsen.

Former chief selector Mohammad Wasim has claimed that Imam-ul-Haq has a history of faking injuries. During the recent Lord's Test match, Imam-ul-Haq sustained a calf injury that scans later confirmed to be a low-grade strain, sidelining him from the game. Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to face challenges in the ongoing Test series as England's pace bowlers exerted authority over Pakistan's batting lineup.

Five Australian bowlers are now in the top 10 of the ICC Test rankings. Half the list belongs to Australia. Not since England placed six bowlers in the top 12 in 1958 has one country dominated the Test bowling rankings like this. Starc is at number one. Pat Cummins is fourth. Scott Boland is seventh. Josh Hazlewood is ninth. Nathan Lyon is tenth.

What makes this different from past great attacks is not just talent. Australia’s “spare” bowler is ranked higher than most countries’ first choice. Scott Boland has spent much of his career as a fourth seamer. He holds the best Test bowling average in more than a century among bowlers with a minimum of 2,000 balls bowled. He has taken 62 wickets at 16.53. George Bailey, Australia’s chair of selectors, said Boland is mounting a strong case to be considered one of the “big three.”

Cummins has overhauled his gym work in his 30s. Hazlewood does pre-match pool sessions for mobility. Boland installed a red-light therapy sauna at his home before Starc did. Lyon, at 38, returned from a calf injury, saying he was bowling the best he had in about six years. Boland with a 16.53 average when one tires, and Lyon with over 550 Test wickets. There is no “see off this spell” option. The next spell is just as dangerous.

Starc reached the top by changing one thing. He said the shift was mental. He learned to let go of good days, bad days, good overs, and bad spells. That simplicity has carried him to 445 Test wickets from 107 matches. He surpassed Dale Steyn’s 439 during the Mackay Test. At 36, he is not thinking about rankings or records. He is thinking about milking his body for all he can for Test cricket.

Why Australia Are the No. 1 Test Team in the World Right Now

Australia currently holds the number one position in the ICC Men’s Test Team Rankings. They lead with 126 rating points. South Africa are second with 119 points. India are third with 104 points. Australia trimmed their lead from 15 points to 13 points in the latest annual update.

Australia’s dominance is backed by strong performances. They completed a 3-0 series whitewash of the West Indies in the Caribbean. They also won the Ashes 4-1 against England, successfully defending the urn.

In the World Test Championship standings, Australia are also at the top of the 2025-27 table. They have 8 wins and 2 losses from 10 matches. Their points percentage is 80.00%. They hold a lead over second-placed South Africa, who have 75.00%. Even after a shock loss in the Bangladesh series, Australia remains comfortably at the top.

In April 2026, Australia were ranked number one with 126 points. Their rating has remained the same after the annual update in May. But they still hold a double-digit lead over the rest of the field. The rankings show that Australia are the dominant force in Test cricket at the moment. They are well-positioned to remain at the top for the foreseeable future.

Mitchell Starc Becomes No. 1 Test Bowler for the First Time in His Career

Mitchell Starc has become the number one ranked Test bowler in the world for the first time in his career. The 36-year-old left-armer achieved the top spot after taking a 10-wicket haul against Bangladesh in Mackay. He grabbed six for 12 and four for 39, which earned him Player of the Match and Player of the Series awards. He overtook Matt Henry and Jasprit Bumrah, whom he now leads by 10 rating points.

Bumrah’s reign at the top lasted just two months. He had held the number one position since February 2024. He has a combined 697 days as the top-ranked bowler, which is the most by any Indian bowler. He was ruled out of the ongoing series against Sri Lanka due to injury.

The latest ICC rankings show five Australian bowlers in the top 10. Starc leads, followed by Pat Cummins at number four, Scott Boland at seven, Josh Hazlewood at nine, and Nathan Lyon at ten. Ollie Robinson’s five-wicket haul in the first innings against Pakistan helped him move up 15 spots to number 11. Josh Tongue also progressed 16 places to 17th.

In the batting rankings, Harry Brook doubled his lead at the top. He is now 24 points ahead of his teammate Joe Root. Rishabh Pant returned to the top 10 for the first time in a year, moving up six places to seventh. Cameron Green moved up to 21st, and Sonal Dinusha jumped 49 places to 54th.

FAQs

Q. How many Australian bowlers are in the ICC top 10?

A. Five Australian bowlers are in the top 10.

Q. Who is the current No. 1 Test bowler?

A. Mitchell Starc is the current No. 1 Test bowler.

Q. Which Australian bowler has a 16.53 Test average?

A. Scott Boland has a Test average of 16.53.

Q. How many Test wickets has Mitchell Starc taken?

A. Starc has taken 445 wickets in 107 Tests.

Q. Which team is No. 1 in Test rankings?

A. Australia is currently ranked No. 1 in Tests.

Get the Latest Cricket Updates at IceCric.News. Also, Follow Our Social Media for live updates on Facebook and Instagram.