The top spot in Test batting belongs to Harry Brook now, overtaking Joe Root. A gritty 56 at Lord’s pushed him ahead, while Root’s two innings added up to little more than a single-digit score. Slipping down, Root finds himself third, outpaced by Australia’s Travis Head, who sits just behind Harry Brook. Rankings shift like shadows under changing light - one moment steady, next unrecognisable. Harry Brook’s rise shows how much he matters now in England’s Test plans. At 26, he wears the vice-captain badge and stands first in line if Stokes steps aside for the second match versus New Zealand, set for The Oval come June 17. Captaincy questions grow around Harry Brook Out in the middle at Lord's, where the ball swung and bounced awkwardly, Harry Brook stepped up when few others could. England teetered at 55 for five, their hopes fading fast - then he took charge, slashing and driving with sharp intent. A 56 it was, not patient, but full of nerve and snap, shifting momentum blade by blade. Two catches spilt through fingers meant luck played its part, yet grit held the bigger share. His scoring shots piled on the strain, forcing New Zealand back onto their heels early. By close, the scoreboard told a new story - one built partly on risk, partly on refusal to bend. The margin is just twenty-seven runs, but heavy ones. Now moving up the ladder, his progress lines up oddly with questions piling around Stokes’ role ahead. Word spread about possible consequences for Ben Stokes, alongside pace bowler Gus Atkinson, after something that happened past midnight in a club setting. That moment lit a slow fuse, and people are now whispering whether he stays at the helm. Talk grows behind closed doors, suggestions popping that the England and Wales Cricket Board might rethink who leads the Test side. If Stokes leaves the job somehow, Brook might become England’s next Test captain. Rumours say both Stokes and Atkinson could face bans, possibly keeping them off the field for the rest of the series against New Zealand. Also Read: Australia's title intent is clear as Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney sink England Gus Atkinson’s big moment at Lord's paid off when the new ICC numbers came out. With seven wickets under his belt and a useful 17 runs scored, he now sits within the top ten test bowlers. Further up, he holds sixth place among all-rounders in the longest format - progress built one delivery at a time.