ICC Test Rankings: Jason Holder And Umesh Yadav Achieve Career-Best Rating Points

West Indies skipper Jason Holder has entered the top ten of ICC Test bowlers’ ranking after his impressive display in the recently-concluded second Test India. India’s Umesh Yadav has also achieved career-best ratings after his ten-wicket haul in the game.

India thrashed West Indies by ten wickets in the second Test to sweep the two-match series. Unlike the first Test, West Indies managed to put up a good challenge but eventually turned out to be no match for the world number one Test side.

Batting first, the tourists scored 311. In reply, India were all out for just 367 despite starting day three on a commanding 308 for 4. However, the Jason Holder-led side failed to capitalise on the opportunity as their top-order failed to fire again. The middle and lower-order failed too as West Indies were all out for just 127. Set a target of 72, India chased it down without breaking any sweat inside 17 overs.

But unlike most of his teammates, Holder managed to make a mark in the game and has been duly rewarded. He took 5 for 56 in the first innings that helped West Indies restrict India to 367.  His five-wicket haul in the first innings briefly gave him the best average (11.87) for a fast bowler in a calendar year for 100 years (with 30 or more wickets).

The 26-year-old, who now has 86 wickets from 35 Tests, finished the match with an average of 12.39 in 2018. He is still the first bowler since 2003 to have 30 or more wickets in a calendar year with an average of under 15. Pakistan’s tearaway pacer Shoaib Akhtar was the last bowler to achieve this feat.

And Holder’s latest performance has taken him into the top 10 among bowlers. The West Indies pacer has moved up four spots to No.9 with a career-high 766 points.

Other pacer to make a giant leap is India’s Umesh Yadav. Umesh picked up ten wickets in the game. He rose four places to take the No.25 spot with 613 points, his career-best.

Among batsmen, Virat Kohli continues to sit at the top. Ajinkya Rahane has moved back into the top 20 after his 80-run knock.  The batsmen who have made substantial gains are – Roston Chase, Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant.

Shaw, who scored 70 and 33* in the match, jumped 13 places to No.60 while Pant, who was dismissed for 92, jumped 23 spots to number 62. On the other hand, Chase, who scored 106 in the first innings, moved up 10 positions to take the 31st spot.