Marco Jansen reached both summits through a single match in Gqeberha, where a five-wicket haul and a rapid 85 with the bat sent him to 876 bowling points and 451 all-rounder points in the ICC update of 28 October. Mitchell Starc and Ravindra Jadeja were the men he overtook. Neither climb is a statistical quirk, because both rest on match-winning contributions. He then closed out South Africa’s 2-1 series win over Australia with 13 wickets and 198 runs across three Tests.
Climbing Past Starc at the Top
The jump was worth 45 points, taking Jansen to 876 and up five places from sixth. Mitchell Starc, on 861, is tied with Matt Henry of New Zealand just below him. Kagiso Rabada in November 2024 was the last South African to lead the bowling list, and he is now eighth on 808, while Scott Boland moved up three places to sixth.
The trigger was 5-33 as Australia folded for 99 in the first innings in Gqeberha, plus one more wicket the second time around. The innings-and-31-run victory squared the contest at one win each and handed Jansen the headline spot. Working backwards from the 45-point gain, his rating before that match was 831, so he started the Test already among the elite.
A Rare Double Over Jadeja
His all-rounder score climbed by 84 points to 451, which moved him from second place to first and ended more than four years of Ravindra Jadeja at the top. Jadeja trails in second place with 422, a 29-point deficit, while Starc is fifth on 257 and Wiaan Mulder fourth on 309.
Batting did the damage. Jansen struck 85 from 100 deliveries in Gqeberha, and he and Temba Bavuma added 132 together as they rebuilt an innings that stood at 110-6 until it reached 242-7. That knock also took him up 13 spots to 56th in the batting list, a reminder that his runs are no longer a bonus but a core part of his value.
Marco Jansen Test series 2026 rankings
At Newlands, he removed Matt Renshaw for 74, edging behind for wicket number 100 in Tests, in only his 24th match. It took him 3,864 balls and made him number 18 among South Africans to get there. Cameron Green followed two overs later, and a further wicket came in the second innings.
Jansen spoke afterwards of how surreal the summit felt and described himself as a kid from Klerksdorp. The series had started less kindly in Durban, where Renshaw hit 190 and 82, and Josh Hazlewood bowled Jansen for 35 in the second innings.
Numbers Behind the Rating Surge
The series return was 198 runs and 13 wickets, enough for the Player of the Series trophy as South Africa won 2-1. Bavuma scored 179 in Gqeberha, a game in which Australia managed only 99 and then 295 after following on. Simon Harmer added ten across the Cape Town match, so Jansen had company.
Wickets came in every match, though the Durban Test ended in a 214-run Australian win. The table sets out how his output moved across the three games, from the opener to the Newlands landmark. The Gqeberha line carries the story, because that single Test produced both the bowling spike and the batting innings.
Test | Wickets | Key Moment |
|---|---|---|
Durban | 4 | Australia won by 214 runs |
Gqeberha | 6 | 5-33 and 85 off 100 balls |
Cape Town | 3 | 100th Test wicket and a 176-run win |
South Africa Now Depend on Him
The decider at Cape Town went South Africa’s way by 176 runs. Inglis made a hundred for the visitors, yet Harmer’s 6-16 skittled them for 111 in pursuit of 288, and Jansen pouched Travis Head at gully. The result added five rating points, taking the hosts to 124 and past Australia’s 122, their first stint at the summit since January 2016.
Among batters, Bavuma is runner-up to Harry Brook with 818 points, while Australia fall to third place in the World Test Championship, with New Zealand ahead, and trail the new leaders by only two rating points. South Africa now hold the top bowler, top all-rounder and top team, and the Marco Jansen Test series 2026 rankings story shows how much of that lead rests on one man.
Is Jansen now the best player in Test cricket, or is the double ranking just a hot streak? Tell us in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is the number one Test bowler in the world right now?
Marco Jansen of South Africa is the top-ranked Test bowler. He holds 876 rating points in the ICC update of 28 October, ahead of Mitchell Starc on 861.
Who is the number one Test all-rounder in the ICC rankings?
Marco Jansen leads the ICC Test all-rounder list. His 451 points put him 29 clear of Ravindra Jadeja, who had held the top spot for more than four years.
How many wickets did Marco Jansen take against Australia?
Marco Jansen took 13 wickets across the three Tests. Durban gave him four, Gqeberha six, and Newlands three, where he also reached his 100th Test wicket.
Who won player of the series between South Africa and Australia?
Marco Jansen won the Player of the Series award. He combined 198 runs with 13 wickets as South Africa took the contest 2-1 after losing the opening Test in Durban.
How many Test wickets does Marco Jansen have?
Marco Jansen has 102 Test wickets from 24 matches. He arrived on 89 before facing Australia and added 13 across the three Tests, which pushed him well beyond the 100 mark.