Markram enters top 10 in batting rankings
Proteas opener Aiden Markram has sustained his surge towards the top during an amazing first year in Test cricket, making his way to ninth position among batsmen in the ICC Test player rankings.
The 23-year-old’s knocks of 152 and 37 not only contributed in South Africa’s massive 492 runs victory over Australia in Johannesburg for a 3-1 series win but have also helped him move up six places to ninth position in the latest rankings update, which also takes into account performances in the drawn second Test between New Zealand and England in Christchurch.
Markram, who led South Africa to victory in the U19 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2014, has broken into the top 10 for the first time and is now among a select group of 10 cricketers led by Don Bradman who have scored 1,000 runs or more in their first 10 Tests.
Markram’s opening partner Dean Elgar too has advanced after scoring 100 runs in the Test including a knock of 81 in the second innings while captain Faf du Plessis (up five places to 17th) and Temba Bavuma (up 12 places to 39th) are the other South Africa batsmen to make significant gains.
For Australia, captain Tim Paine has moved up eight places to 53rd position while for England, captain Joe Root (up one place to third), wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow (up three places to 13th) and Mark Stoneman (up 14 places to 64th) are the ones to progress.
Not surprisingly, South Africa fast bowlers ruling the roost in Johannesburg sees several of them making the latest rankings update a joyful one.
Pace bowler Vernon Philander’s player of the match effort of nine for 51 has lifted him six places to third rank, player of the series Kagiso Rabada remains at the top adding three points to take his tally to 902 while Morne Morkel has finished off on a high.
Batsmen (top 10)
| Rank ( /-) | Player | Team | Points | Average | Highest Rating |
| 1 (-) | Steve Smith | Australia | 929 | 61.37 | 947 v SA at Durban 2018 |
| 2 (-) | Virat Kohli | India | 912 | 53.40 | 912 v SA at Johannesburg 2018 |
| 3 ( 1) | Joe Root | England | 867 | 52.63 | 917 v Aus at Trent Bridge 2015 |
| 4 (-1) | Kane Williamson | New Zealand | 847 | 50.35 | 893 v Aus at Perth 2015 |
| 5 (-) | David Warner | Australia | 820 | 48.20 | 880 v NZ at Perth 2015 |
| 6 (-) | AB de Villiers | South Africa | 813 | 50.66 | 935 v Aus Port Elizabeth 2014 |
| 7 (-) | Cheteshwar Pujara | India | 810 | 50.51 | 888 v SL at Nagpur 2017 |
| 8 (-) | Dean Elgar | South Africa | 784! | 42.58 | 784 v Aus Johannesburg 2018 |
| 9 ( 6) | Aiden Markram | South Africa | 759* | 55.55 | 759 v Aus at Johannesburg 2018 |
| 10 (-1) | Azhar Ali | Pakistan | 755 | 46.62 | 787 v Aus at Melbourne 2016 |
Bowlers (top 10)
| Rank ( /-) | Player | Team | Points | Average | Highest Rating |
| 1 (-) | Kagiso Rabada | South Africa | 897 | 21.59 | 902 v Aus at Port Elizabeth 2018 |
| 2 (-) | James Anderson | England | 891 | 27.36 | 896 v Win at Lord’s 2017 |
| 3 ( 6) | Vernon Philander | South Africa | 845 | 21.46 | 912 v Ind at Johannesburg 2018 |
| 4 (-1) | Ravindra Jadeja | India | 844 | 23.73 | 899 v Aus at Ranchi 2017 |
| 5 (-1) | Ravichandran Ashwin | India | 803 | 25.56 | 904 v Eng at Mumbai 2016 |
| 6= (-) | Morne Morkel | South Africa | 800! | 27.66 | 800 v Aus at Johannesburg 2018 |
| ( 12) | Pat Cummins | Australia | 800*! | 23.81 | 800 v SA at Johannesburg 2018 |
| 8 (-1) | Trent Boult | New Zealand | 795 | 27.84 | 825 v Eng at Lord’s 2015 |
| 9 (-) | Rangana Herath | Sri Lanka | 777 | 28.18 | 867 v Zim at Harare 2016 |
| 10 (-2) | Neil Wagner | New Zealand | 765 | 28.26 | 785 v Win at Wellington 2017 |
