India stars make rankings charge after mammoth win

Chennai

India second Test heroes Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin have made notable gains in the ICC Test Player Rankings after their defining roles in the 317-run win in Chennai.

Rohit’s first innings score of 161, which set the platform for a win that kept India in contention for the ICC World Test Championship final, has helped him gain nine places to reach 14th position, his best since November 2019. The Mumbai batsman’s career best position was attained in October 2019, when he was ranked 10th after notching a double century against South Africa in Ranchi.

India allrounder Ashwin breaks new ground

Ashwin’s second-innings century at his home ground in Chennai has lifted him 14 places to 81st in the list of batsmen, and while he remains seventh among bowlers after grabbing eight wickets in the match, he has gained 33 rating points to reach within three points of sixth-ranked Stuart Broad and to within 21 of second-ranked Neil Wagner.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant’s 58 not out in the first innings has helped him continue his upward movement and he is now at a career-best 11th position. Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav returns in 50th position while left-arm spinner Axar Patel has entered the rankings in 68th place after an impressive debut that saw him take seven wickets including a five-wicket haul in the second innings.

England’s rankings gainers

For England, left-arm spinner Jack Leach has gained six places to reach 31st position at a career-best 524 points after grabbing six wickets in the match even as several of his team-mates have slipped down the rankings including star all-rounder Ben Stokes, who has lost his top position among all-rounders.

The West Indies, who pulled off a thrilling 17-run victory over Bangladesh in Dhaka to wrap up the two-Test series 2-0, have much to rejoice about in terms of players’ rankings.

Nkrumah Bonner is in 63rd position, scores of 90 and 38 in Dhaka helping him advance six places since his debut in the previous Test, while off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall’s nine wickets in the match have helped him get into the top 50 for the first time.

Wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva (up 33 places to 78th) and left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican (up three places to 59th) are the others West Indies players to register upward movement.

For Bangladesh, left-handed opener Tamim Iqbal has moved from 37th to 32nd after scores of 44 and 50 and Liton Das has reached 54th from 65th among batsmen. Left-arm spinner Tajiul Islam is in 22nd position after his eight wickets in the match helped him gain five places.

ICC Test Player Rankings

(Rankings as of 17 February 2021)

Batsmen (top 10)

Rank (+/–) Player Team Pts Avge Highest Rating
1 (-) Kane Williamson NZ 919! 54.31 919 v Pak at Christchurch 2021
2 (-) Steve Smith Aus 891 61.80 947 v SA at Durban 2018
3 (+1) Marnus Labuschagne Aus 878*! 60.80 878 v Ind at Brisbane 2021
4 (-1) Joe Root Eng 869 49.97 917 v Aus at Trent Bridge 2015
5 (-) Virat Kohli Ind 838 52.92 937 v Eng at Southampton 2018
6 (-) Babar Azam Pak 760 44.22 800 v Ban at Rawalpindi 2020
7 (+1) Henry Nicholls NZ 747 43.91 778 v Ban at Wellington 2019
8 (-1) Cheteshwar Pujara Ind 727 47.17 888 v SL at Nagpur 2017
9 (+1) David Warner Aus 724 48.09 880 v NZ at Perth 2015
10 (-1) Ben Stokes Eng 721 37.54 827 v WI at Old Trafford 2020

Other selected rankings

Rank (+/–) Player Team Pts Avge Highest Rating
11 (+2) Rishabh Pant Ind 715*! 44.85 715 v Eng at Chennai 2021
14 (+9) Rohit Sharma Ind 690 45.83 722 v SA at Ranchi 2019
32 (+5) Tamim Iqbal Ban 579 38.20 709 v Aus at Mirpur 2017
54 (+11) Liton Das Ban 507*! 28.62 507 v WI at Mirpur 2021
63 (+25) Nkrumah Bonner WI 488*! 57.75 488 v Ban at Mirpur 2021
64= (+6) Kyle Mayers WI 487*! 87.00 487 v Ban at Mirpur 2021
78 (+33) Joshua Da Silva WI 429*! 39.00 429 v Ban at Mirpur 2021
81 (+14) R Ashwin Ind 419 28.23 553 v Eng at Mohali 2016

Bowlers (top 10)

Rank (+/–) Player Team Pts Avge Highest Rating
1 (-) Pat Cummins Aus 908 21.59 914 v Eng at Old Trafford 2019
2 (+2) Neil Wagner NZ 825 26.32 859 v Aus at Melbourne 2019
3 (-) James Anderson Eng 818 26.49 903 v Ind at Lord’s 2018
4 (+1) Josh Hazlewood Aus 816 25.65 864 v Ind at Bengaluru 2017
5 (+1) Tim Southee NZ 811 28.70 826 v Pak at Mount Maunganui 2020
6 (-4) Stuart Broad Eng 807 27.68 880 v SA at Johannesburg 2016
7 (-) R Ashwin Ind 804 25.20 904 v Eng at Mumbai 2016
8 (-) Jasprit Bumrah Ind 761* 21.87 834 v WI at Jamaica 2019
9 (-) Kagiso Rabada SA 753 23.36 902 v Aus at Port Elizabeth 2018
10 (+1) Mitchell Starc Aus 744 27.57 807 v NZ at Perth 2019

Other selected rankings

Rank (+/–) Player Team Pts Avge Highest Rating
22 (+5) Taijul Islam Ban 610 32.54 666 v WI at Dhaka 2018
31= (+6) Jack Leach Eng 524*! 30.37 524 v Ind at Chennai 2021
49 (+16) Rahkeem Cornwall WI 373*! 30.81 373 v Ban at Mirpur 2021
50 RE Kuldeep Yadav Ind 366* 23.84 402 v Aus at Sydney 2019
59 (+3) Jomel Warrican WI 304*! 36.15 304 v Ban at Mirpur 2021
68 (NEW) Axar Patel Ind 265*! 14.28 265 v Eng at Chennai 2021
72 (+29) Olly Stone Eng 241*! 13.85 241 v Ind at Chennai 2021

All-rounders (top five)

Rank (+/–) Player Team Pts Highest Rating
1 (+1) Jason Holder WI 407 485 v Eng at Southampton 2020
2 (+1) Ravindra Jadeja Ind 403 438 v SL at Colombo (SSC) 2017
3 (-2) Ben Stokes Eng 397 497 v WI at Old Trafford 2020
4 (-) S Al Hasan Ban 352 489 v Aus at Mirpur 2017
5 (+1) R Ashwin Ind 336 492 v Eng at Mohali 2016

*indicates provisional rating; a batsman qualifies for a full rating after playing 40 Test innings; a bowler qualifies for a full rating when he reaches 100 Test wickets.

!indicates career-highest rating

Latest