Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin jumped to the top of the latest ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings on Wednesday, replacing England pacer James Anderson. Ashwin claimed first place after taking six wickets in India’s emphatic victory over Australia in the second Test at New Delhi. Anderson dropped to second after England’s stunning loss to New Zealand in the Wellington Test. Ashwin, 36, first claimed top honors among Test bowlers in 2015 and has since returned to first place several times.
Ashwin took big wickets in India’s victory in Dehli, removing Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in the same over of the first innings before returning to pick up Alex Carey for a duck.
The off spinner was at it again in the second innings, taking three of the top five as his spin bowling henchman Ravindra Jadeja rattled through the rest of the Australian batsmen from the other side.
Ashwin has a chance to extend his last stay at the No. 1 spot in India’s remaining two Tests on home soil in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Ashwin is the third No. 1 Test bowler in as many weeks, after Anderson replaced Australia captain Pat Cummins at the top last time. The trio continue to make up the top three bowlers in the latest rankings.
Anderson is now five rating points behind Ashwin, who remains at 864 points.
Jadeja’s 10 wickets in the second Test against Australia also see him climb to eighth in the bowling rankings, Jadeja and Ashwin occupy the top two positions in Test All-Rounder Rankings.
England’s Joe Root is the other big climber in the all-rounder ranking, moving up two places to eighth.
Root’s return to top form in Wellington also saw him leapfrog Travis Head and Babar Azam into third position in the MRF Tires ICC Test Batting Rankings.
Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith remain first and second respectively among Test batters.
New Zealander Tom Blundell is a newcomer to the top 10, moving up four places to seventh after helping the Black Caps to their famous one-point follow-up victory in the second Test against England.
Young England’s Harry Brook continues his meteoric rise up the batting rank after another stellar century, climbing 15 places to tie with Virat Kohli in 16th.
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