Ravichandran Ashwin becomes number 1 Test bowler, surpasses James Anderson

Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Wednesday replaced England fast bowler James Anderson at the top of the latest ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings. Ashwin claimed the top spot after taking six wickets in India’s emphatic win over Australia in the second Test in New Delhi. Anderson slipped to second place after England’s shock defeat to New Zealand in the Wellington Test. The 36-year-old Ashwin first claimed the top honors among Test bowlers in 2015 and has since returned to the top spot on several occasions.

Ashwin took big wickets in India’s win in Dehli, removing Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in the same over of the first innings and returning to get Alex Carey for a duck.

In the second innings, the off-spinner again picked three out of the top five while his spin bowling partner Ravindra Jadeja troubled the rest of Australia’s batsmen from the other end.

Ashwin has a chance to extend his latest No. 1 spot in India’s two remaining Tests on home soil in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy Ashwin third Test No. 1 in as many weeks after Anderson replaced Australia skipper Pat The bowlers have become Cummins on top for the last time. The trio continues to be among the top three bowlers in the latest rankings.

Anderson is now five rating points behind Ashwin, who has 864 points.

Jadeja’s 10 wickets in the second Test against Australia also takes him up to eighth in the bowling rankings, with Jadeja and Ashwin occupying the top two positions in the Test all-rounder rankings.

England’s Joe Root is the other big mover in the all-rounder rankings, moving up two places to eighth.

Root’s return to top form in Wellington also sees him move past Travis Head and Babar Azam to third in the MRF Tires ICC Test Batting Rankings.

Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith are ranked first and second respectively among Test batsmen.

New Zealander Tom Blundell is a new arrival in the top 10, having moved up four places to seventh after a run helped the Black Caps to their famous follow-on victory in the second Test against England.

England young gun Harry Brook continued his meteoric rise in the batting rankings after another brilliant century, jumping 15 places to draw level with Virat Kohli at 16th.

featured video of the day

Not a “rule-breaker or trendsetter”: Sania Mirza opens up ahead of final tennis event