It is not for nothing that most professional players and cricket connoisseurs consider Test matches as the true 'test' of character. If Test cricket is the pinnacle of the sport, then the International Cricket Council's official rankings of Test players are the definitive indicator of where the foremost players of the elite cricketing nations stand in the ultimate format. (Cricket News)
The ICC Test Player Rankings are a sound metric to evaluate the standing of international cricketers across nationalities in the five-day format of the game. The players' performances are ranked using a points-based system which involves several calculations that lead up to a sophisticated moving average.
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ALSO READ: ICC ODI Player Rankings
Players are rated on a scale of 0 to 1000 points. If a player’s performance is an improvement on their record, the points increase, and similarly if the performance declines then the points go down.
The value of each player’s performance in a match is calculated through an algorithm, involving a pre-programmed series of calculations based on numerous circumstances in the match. There is no human intervention in this calculation process, and no subjective assessment is made.
Test Batting Rankings (Top 10 List)
| Rank | Name | Country | Rating |
| 1 | Kane Williamson | New Zealand | 883 |
| 2 | Joe Root | England | 859 |
| 3 | Steve Smith | Australia | 842 |
| 4 | Babar Azam | Pakistan | 829 |
| 5 | Marnus Labuschagne | Australia | 826 |
| 6 | Travis Head | Australia | 818 |
| 7 | Daryl Mitchell | New Zealand | 804 |
| 8 | Usman Khawaja | Australia | 796 |
| 9 | Harry Brook | England | 773 |
| 10 | Rohit Sharma | India | 759 |
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New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and former England captain Joe Root occupy the first and second spots, respectively in the batting list. India skipper Rohit Sharma is currently in 10th position.
Test Bowling Rankings (Top 10 List)
| Rank | Name | Country | Rating |
| 1 | Ravichandran Ashwin | India | 879 |
| 2 | Kagiso Rabada | South Africa | 825 |
| 3 | Ravindra Jadeja | India | 782 |
| 4 | Pat Cummins | Australia | 775 |
| 5 | Shaheen Afridi | Pakistan | 762 |
| 5 | Ollie Robinson | England | 762 |
| 7 | James Anderson | England | 761 |
| 8 | Nathan Lyon | Australia | 760 |
| 9 | Prabath Jayasuria | Sri Lanka | 751 |
| 10 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | 742 |
Ace India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin rules the bowling list with 879 points, followed by Proteas pacer Kagiso Rabada at 825 points. Ashwin's spin-twin Ravindra Jadeja is placed third with 782 points.
Test All-Rounder Rankings (Top 10 List)
| Rank | Name | Country | Rating |
| 1 | Ravindra Jadeja | India | 455 |
| 2 | Ravichandran Ashwin | India | 370 |
| 3 | Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 326 |
| 4 | Ben Stokes | England | 307 |
| 5 | Axar Patel | India | 298 |
| 6 | Joe Root | England | 286 |
| 7 | Jason Holder | West Indies | 280 |
| 8 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | 241 |
| 9 | Kyle Mayers | West Indies | 240 |
| 10 | Chris Woakes | England | 229 |
Thanks to his much-improved batting, Jadeja is perched on top of the all-rounders list with 455 points. Ashwin is giving him company, ranking second with 370 points. Another Indian spinner Axar Patel is in fifth position with 298 points.
