Ravindra Jadeja topples R Ashwin to be world no 1 bowler in ICC Test cricket rankings

Dubai: Ravindra Jadeja toppled compatriot Ravichandran Ashwin as he jumped to number one in ICC Test rankings for bowlers on Tuesday. The left-arm spinner, who scalped nine wickets in the third India versus Australia Test in Ranchi, now has 899 points to R Ashwin’s 862.

Jadeja was the joint number one Test bowler with Ashwin before the third Test began in MS Dhoni’s hometown. However, following his impressive showing in the third Test, he managed to go past Ashwin.

Jadeja has also closed in on a major landmark as his tally of 899 rating points puts him on the brink of becoming only the second India bowler after Ashwin to touch the 900-point mark. Ashwin, who had a highest rating of 904 points, has slipped 37 points behind Jadeja to 862 points after finishing with two wickets in Ranchi.

The latest rankings, which also take into account the Colombo Test which Bangladesh won by four wickets against Sri Lanka to draw the series 1-1 and the second Test in Wellington which South Africa won by eight wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series against New Zealand, also sees quite a few other significant changes.

South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj has risen 15 places to reach a career-best 37th spot after taking eight wickets in Wellington while pace bowlers Umesh Yadav of India (26th) and Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh (47th) have also achieved personal best rankings.