Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood Surge: Return to Top Five in Test Player Rankings

Since last year’s World Test Championship final, Australia has been unstoppable. The Aussie players are ruling the world. In 2024, Australia defeated Pakistan by 3-0 in the three-match Test series. After that, they are playing a Test series against West Indies. In the first Test, Travis Head scored an amazing century against West Indies. Josh Hazelwood also performed exceptionally well. Head’s century lifted his position to the fifth position in the ICC Men’s Test Player Ranking. Hazelwood moved to the fourth position among the bowlers. 

Head’s Comeback:

Travis Head‘s sensational century propels him to fifth place in the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings, following Australia’s triumph against the West Indies. Meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood’s stellar performance, claiming nine wickets, elevates him three spots to fourth among bowlers. Head, recently featured in the ICC Test and ODI Teams of the Year for 2023, showcased his prowess with a match-winning 119, earning him the Player of the Match title in the Adelaide Test.

Travis Head’s outstanding innings of 119 runs off 134 balls played a crucial role in saving the Australian team from a challenging situation at 67/3. His stellar performance guided them to a total score of 283 in the first innings. Head’s resilience and impactful batting were instrumental in turning the tide for Australia, rescuing them from a potentially difficult situation and setting the stage for a strong performance in the match. 

Hazelwood’s Performance:

Josh Hazlewood bowled exceptionally well in Adelaide, taking four wickets for 44 runs and five wickets for 35 runs. In the first Test against West Indies, Josh Hazelwood was amazing. In the first innings, his amazing spell troubled the West Indies batters. He picked up 4 wickets in 44 runs in 15 overs. In the first innings, Alick Athanaze was his first wicket. After that, he dismissed Kirk McKenzie, Kavem Hodge, and Justin Greaves with his amazing deliveries. 

He showed his excellence even in the second innings. In the second innings, he took 5 wickets in 35 runs in 14 overs. He dismissed Chanderpal on a duck. That was his first success in the second innings. After that, he picked up skipper Brathwaite, Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, and Gudakesh Motie and completed his five-wicket haul. Those performances helped him to move upwards in the ICC rankings. 

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