Rapid progress in separate red ball series has brought Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Australian batsman Travis Head within striking distance of the top spots in the ICC Test rankings for batters.

Travis Head has surged two places to secure the second position with 874 points, a mere nine points behind New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, who currently holds the top spot with 883 points, according to the latest update from the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday.

Simultaneously, Babar Azam is also making significant strides, climbing three places to claim the third position on the list with 862 points.

“Australia star Travis Head is the newest challenger to the No.1 Test batter ranking after the in-form left-hander rose to a career-high second place on the latest ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings,” stated the ICC in a press release.

Head’s impressive performance during the Ashes series against England, where he amassed a total of 266 runs at an average of 44.33, including notable scores of 39 and 77 in the recent Test at Headingley, has propelled him up the rankings.

This upward movement has triggered yet another shuffle at the top of the batting rankings. Alongside Head’s rise, Pakistan captain Babar Azam has made a significant jump of three places to secure the third position, while fellow Australians Steve Smith (fourth) and Marnus Labuschagne (fifth), as well as England’s Joe Root (sixth), have each dropped one spot in the captivating race for top billing.

With two matches remaining in the ongoing Ashes cricket series, Head aims to claim the top spot, while Azam will seek to achieve the same during the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka this month.

“The ICC stated that Pakistan captain Babar Azam jumped three places to third, with fellow Australians Steve Smith (fourth) and Marnus Labuschagne (fifth), as well as England’s Joe Root (sixth), all dropping one spot in what is an enthralling race for top billing.”