Jadeja No. 1 Test all-rounder, Ashwin second in top 10 rankings

Jadeja’s spin partners Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel have moved to the second and fifth spots respectively in the latest ICC Test all-rounders rankings.

Ravindra Jadeja celebrates after picking a 10-wicket haul against Australia during the second Test in Delhi. | Photo Credit: PTI

Ravindra Jadeja has progressed seven places to take the ninth spot in the ICC Test bowling rankings after his 10-wicket match haul against Australia in the second Test in Delhi.

This is the first time Jadeja, the no. 1 Test all-rounder, has breached the top-10 in the bowlers’ rankings since September 2019.

His spin partner Ravichandran Ashwin has moved to second place in the Test all-rounders rankings while another India spinner Axar Patel’s heroics have pushed him into the top-five all-rounders.

Australia’s Nathan Lyon has gained two places to reach 15th among bowlers after finishing with seven wickets in the match, which his team lost by six wickets.

Meanwhile, England’s veteran seamer James Anderson has grabbed the top spot in the men’s Test player rankings for the sixth time in his career after grabbing seven wickets in the first Test against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui.

Anderson took over from Australia captain Pat Cummins, who had been at the top since February 2019.

Anderson first became No. 1 in May 2016 and was last at the top in November 2018 before being overtaken by South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada. Anderson is the oldest bowler to top the Test rankings since Australia great Clarrie Grimmett in 1936 and the fifth oldest ever.

England batters Ollie Pope (up six places to 23rd), Harry Brook (up 12 places to 31st) and Ben Duckett (up 13 places to 38th) have achieved career-best rankings, as have New Zealand’s Tom Blundell and Devon Conway.

Blundell’s first innings knock of 138 has lifted him four places to 11th while Conway’s 77 has helped him move up five places to 17th.

There are some movements in the ODI rankings too after matches of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2.

Scotland’s George Munsey has gained seven spots to reach 39th position among batters while Nepal’s RK Paudel has progressed from 76th to 67th.

In the bowling rankings, Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane is up 12 places to 31st while Scotland seam bowler Safyaan Sharif is up from 51st to 45th.

In the men’s T20I Rankings, updated after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) versus Afghanistan series, Muhammad Waseem of the UAE is up six places to seventh position even as Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga is back to No. 1 with Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan slipping behind him.