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NEW DELHI: England’s pace attack has been richly rewarded in the latest ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings following a remarkable Boxing Day Test triumph in Melbourne that ended a long and painful wait on Australian soil.

The MCG Test was wrapped up inside two days as fast bowlers dominated proceedings, with all 36 wickets falling to seam. For England, it was more than just a rare overseas victory.

It marked their first Test win in Australia in over a decade and came after a challenging Ashes campaign that had tested the depth and resilience of the side.

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Josh Tongue leads England’s rankings rise

At the heart of England’s resurgence was Josh Tongue, who delivered a match-winning performance to earn Player of the Match honours. His seven wickets across the two innings proved decisive and sparked a sharp rise in the bowling rankings, with Tongue jumping 13 places to reach 30th.

The performance underlined Tongue’s growing stature in red-ball cricket and symbolised England’s renewed edge with the ball in challenging conditions.

England’s pace unit enjoyed a collective boost. Gus Atkinson made an immediate impact on his return, removing Travis Head early and finishing with three wickets. His efforts pushed him four places up to joint 13th in the bowling rankings, reflecting his growing consistency at the highest level.

Brydon Carse also impressed, with a five-wicket haul that lifted him six spots to 23rd. The rise of multiple England quicks highlighted the depth of their seam resources and the effectiveness of their attack in Melbourne.

Australia bowlers hold ground despite defeat

While Australia endured a disappointing result and dropped valuable ICC World Test Championship points, their bowlers still found modest rewards.

Mitchell Starc’s four wickets saw him climb into a joint second position in the bowling rankings, while Scott Boland reached a career-best seventh after a two-place rise.

Brook shines with the bat

England’s success was not limited to their bowlers. Harry Brook’s calm and decisive batting in the chase moved him up to second in the Test batting rankings.

His rise came at the expense of Steve Smith, Travis Head and Kane Williamson, who all slipped a place as Brook closed the gap on Joe Root at the top.