After their impressive show in the just concluded test series against Sri Lanka, Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul have attained career-best positions in the latest ICC Test Player Rankings. Dhawan, who was not originally part of the squad, finished as highest run-getter in the series with 358 runs and thus has moved up 10 places to 28th position. In his six innings, the left-hander scored two centuries. Rahul has moved up two places to equal his career-best ninth position after scoring four consecutive half-centuries in the series. Rahul has thus equalled his career-best ninth rank attained in July this year, but the present tally of 761 rating points is his highest till date.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya’s 96-ball knock of 108 has helped him gain 45 positions to reach a career-best 68th rank among batsmen, while pace bowlers Mohammad Shami (up one place to 19th position) and Umesh Yadav (up one place up to a career-best 21st position) have gained among bowlers. Kuldeep Yadav, coming in as Ravindra Jadeja’s replacement, has moved up 29 slots to 58th place after returning figures of four for 40 and one for 56.
In the list for all-rounders, Jadeja has lost the top slot to Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hassan after missing the Pallekele Test owing to a one-match suspension after accumulating six demerit points inside a 24-month period. Jadeja has slipped one point behind Shakib’s tally of 431 points but remains at the top of the bowling rankings.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli are the only Indian batsmen in top five while Jadeja continues to be number one Test bowler followed by James Anderson and Ravi Ashwin at second and third respectively.
