Quick Answer
Mitchell Starc (Australia) is the No. 1-ranked Test bowler in the ICC Men’s rankings, with a rating of 872 points — ahead of Matt Henry (New Zealand, 861) in 2nd and Jasprit Bumrah (India, 853) in 3rd. Fast bowlers dominate the top 10, with pace attacks from Australia, South Africa and England setting the pace at the top of the format.
Test bowling rankings measure who consistently takes wickets and controls the game across the demanding, five-day format — sustained pressure across long spells, not just a single burst. Below is the current top 20, refreshed after every completed Test involving a qualifying bowler in the ICC’s rolling ratings model.
Full List: Top 20 ICC Men’s Test Bowlers (2026)
The table below reflects each bowler’s current ICC rating and how far behind the No. 1 spot they sit. This rating is built purely from bowling performance — wickets, economy, and match situation — see the methodology note below the table.
| Rank | Player | Team | Rating | Behind #1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitchell Starc |  Australia |
872 | — |
| 2 ▲1 | Matt Henry |  New Zealand |
861 | -11 |
| 3 ▼1 | Jasprit Bumrah |  India |
853 | -19 |
| 4 | Pat Cummins | Australia |
841 | -31 |
| 5 ▲6 | Ollie Robinson |  England |
831 | -41 |
| 6 ▼1 | Marco Jansen |  South Africa |
825 | -47 |
| 7 ▼1 | Kagiso Rabada | South Africa |
807 | -65 |
| 8 ▼1 | Scott Boland | Australia |
804 | -68 |
| 9 ▼1 | Noman Ali |  Pakistan |
785 | -87 |
| 10 ▼1 | Josh Hazlewood | Australia |
783 | -89 |
| 11 ▲4 | Asitha Fernando |  Sri Lanka |
732 | -140 |
| 12 ▼2 | Nathan Lyon | Australia |
731 | -141 |
| 13 ▼1 | Simon Harmer | South Africa |
721 | -151 |
| =13 ▲4 | Josh Tongue | England |
721 | -151 |
| 15 ▼2 | Taijul Islam |  Bangladesh |
720 | -152 |
| =15 ▲10 | Mohammad Abbas | Pakistan |
720 | -152 |
| 17 ▲1 | Mohammed Siraj | India |
696 | -176 |
| 18 ▲2 | Blessing Muzarabani |  Zimbabwe |
687 | -185 |
| 19 | Ravindra Jadeja | India |
682 | -190 |
| 20 ▲1 | Shamar Joseph |  West Indies |
679 | -193 |
Source: ICC Official Test Bowling Rankings · Data current as of publish date shown above
How the ICC Bowling Rating Works
The Test bowling rating is built purely from performance with the ball: wickets taken, economy rate, and how those figures stack up against the specific opposition and match situation faced across a five-day contest. A tight, wicketless first-innings spell and a match-winning five-for can both score well depending on context — the model rewards sustained control and match-defining impact together. Ratings are recalculated after every Test a qualifying bowler features in, so movement is common through a series.
Notable Movements Since the Last Update
Mitchell Starc holds top spot for Australia, with Matt Henry and Jasprit Bumrah rounding out the top 3. Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas is the standout mover inside the top 20, climbing ten places to a tie at No. 15, while England’s Ollie Robinson (up six to No. 5) and Josh Tongue (up four to a tie at No. 13) have both surged. Sri Lanka’s Asitha Fernando is also up four places to No. 11. On the way down, Nathan Lyon and Taijul Islam have each dropped two spots. Australia remains the deepest attack in Test cricket with five bowlers inside this top 20 — Starc, Cummins, Boland, Hazlewood and Lyon — more than any other side.
FAQs: Men’s Test Bowling Rankings
Mitchell Starc of Australia is currently ranked No. 1 in the ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings, with a rating of 872 points.
Rankings are recalculated after every completed Test match involving a qualifying bowler, so the table can change several times during a single series.
It’s based purely on bowling performance — wickets taken and economy rate across a five-day match — weighted for recent form and adjusted for the strength of the opposition faced.
Australia has the most bowlers inside the current top 20, with five: Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon.