India v Australia - 4th Test: Day 5
AHMEDABAD, INDIA - MARCH 13: Travis Head of Australia bats during day five of the Fourth Test match in the series between India and Australia at Narendra Modi Stadium on March 13, 2023 in Ahmedabad, India. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
India v Australia - 4th Test: Day 5

Australia's star batsmen have taken out the top three rankings in the ICC Test Batters' Rankings.

Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, and Travis Head are all ranked first, second, and third respectively.

It is the first time since 1984 that the top three batsmen are from the same country, showing how dominant Australia's form has been recently and proving why they are the best in the world.

Australia won the World Test Championship at The Oval against India last week by 209 runs, as they prepare to defend The Ashes over the coming months.

Travis Head's rise up the batting ranks is a stunning turnaround from the last Ashes Series, where he was left out of the Australian squad.

Head scored 163 runs against India to set Australia up for victory, whilst Smith scored 121, the pair combining for a 285-run partnership in the first innings.

Whilst Labuschagne did not compete to his usual standards, scoring 26 and 41, there is no doubt he will be raring to go for The Ashes.

Labuschagne's Ashes Debut in 2019 was one to remember, when he was the first-ever concussion replacement in cricket history after Steve Smith went down. Labuschagne capitalised on the opportunity with a century in the Third Test at Leeds.

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Speaking to cricket.com.au, Steve Smith was proud of the work his fellow batsmen had put in.

"It's cool to see us all at the top of the tree in terms of the rankings," Smith said.

"Those two in particular, the improvements they've made over the last four or five years have been exceptional."

Usman Khawaja also appears amongst the batting ranks for Australia, coming in at ninth spot, despite being previously ranked at seventh.

Australia will start their defence of The Ashes at Edgbaston on Friday at 8:00 pm (AEST).

ICC Test Batting Rankings

  1. Marnus Labuschagne
  2. Steve Smith
  3. Travis Head
  4. Kane Williamson
  5. Babar Azam
  6. Joe Root
  7. Daryl Mitchell
  8. Dimuth Karunaratne
  9. Usman Khawaja
  10. Rishabh Pant