ICC Test Rankings: Rishabh Pant Achieves Career-Best Ranking; Ravichandran Ashwin Makes Significant Gains In Bowlers and All-Rounders Rankings

Dynamic Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been rewarded for his stellar performances with the bat in the recently-concluded Test season where he played a plethora of match-winning and series-clinching knocks during India’s triumph in Australia and a mauling of England on home soil.

Following the culmination of the Test series between India and England, the ICC has revealed the updated rankings that he has seen the 23-year-old Rishabh Pant jump seven places and earn his career-best position among Test batsmen around the world.

Pant is now stationed at the 7th spot alongside compatriot and champion opener Rohit Sharma, who also had an outstanding series against England and New Zealand’s Henry Nicholls.

The last three and a half months have been surreal for Rishabh Pant. After a poor 2019-20 season that saw him lose his place to KL Rahul as the first-choice keeper in white-ball cricket and to Wriddhiman Saha in Test cricket, who was India’s first choice in the series opener against Australia in Adelaide- Rishabh Pant has not only reclaimed his place across formats but he has also impinged himself as possibly the best wicketkeeper-batsman in Test cricket today.

Pant made his comeback in the Boxing Day Test against Australia where he played a crucial cameo in the first innings when India was in a bit of a fix after having lost the cream of their top-order.

But it was during the final day in Sydney where Rishabh Pant played a knock for the ages. With India staring down the barrel during their pursuit of 410 on a fifth-day track, Rishabh Pant knocked the stuffing out of the Aussie bowling attack as he carted them to all corners of the SCG for a maniac 118-ball 97. His innings gave India the belief that they could draw the Test, which they eventually did thanks to the immense mental fortitude shown by R Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari.

A few days later, Pant picked up from where he had left in Sydney but this time he ensured that he took India past the finishing line as the visitors chased down a series-winning 328 at the Gabba. Pant fittingly hit the winning shot, staying unbeaten on 89.

Upon his return to India, Rishabh Pant gave England the first-hand experience of his fearless batting as he smashed a brilliant 91 in the first innings of the Chennai Test.  But, it was his series-defining hundred in the 4th Test where he mixed caution and aggression to the brilliant effect that probably summed up the evolution of Rishabh Pant- the Test cricketer.

Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant are both at No.7 in the latest @MRFWorldwide ICC Test Player Rankings for batting ?

A big boost for Pant, who has achieved his career-best ranking! pic.twitter.com/96Jlu1p9Xp

— ICC (@ICC) March 10, 2021

 

Ravichandran Ashwin and James Anderson move up places in latest ICC Test rankings for bowlers

Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and champion England fast bowler James Anderson have moved to the 2nd and 4th spot respectively in the ICC Test ranking for bowlers following their brilliant performances in the recent four-match series.

Ashwin, who was adjudged the ‘Player of the Series’ for his all-round display, ended up with 32 wickets in four matches which includes three five-wicket hauls. During the series, Ashwin also became the fastest bowler in Test history to claim 400 wickets.

Meanwhile, James Anderson once again displayed just why he is one of the greatest seamers of all-time, and not only in favorable conditions but all around the world.

Anderson’s reverse-swing bowling in the first Test where he walked over the Indian middle-order and the patience and discipline he displayed in the 4th Test was one of the highlights of the series. He ended up with 8 wickets in three games at an average of 15.88.

? R Ashwin at No.2
? James Anderson at No.4

Significant gains for big names in the latest @MRFWorldwide ICC Test Player Rankings for bowling! pic.twitter.com/plmtvHkI0P

— ICC (@ICC) March 10, 2021

 

Ravichandran Ashwin and Ben Stokes move up in all-rounder’s rankings; Ravindra Jadeja moves down one spot

As far as the all-rounders are concerned, West Indies captain Jason Holder has held on to his numero-uno spot while Ben Stokes and Ravindra Jadeja, who did not play in the series due to injury, have swapped places. Stokes, who scored two fifties in the four-match series, has moved to the second spot followed by Jadeja at three. The English southpaw managed 203 runs in 8 innings at 25.38 besides claiming 5 wickets at 30.60.

The biggest beneficiary is R Ashwin, who has leapfrogged Shakib Al Hasan, to become the 4th ranked Test all-rounder in the world. Besides taking heaps of wickets with the ball, Ashwin scored his fifth Test ton during the second Test and finished with 189 runs in six innings at 31.50.

Another feather in R Ashwin’s cap ?

He is now the No.4 all-rounder in the latest @MRFWorldwide ICC Test Player rankings! pic.twitter.com/fctHKWQMx0

— ICC (@ICC) March 10, 2021