ICC Test Rankings: Ravindra Jadeja becomes number one all-rounder
India's Ravindra Jadeja has climbed to the top in the latest ICC Test Rankings for all-rounders. The 33-year-old left behind his compatriot Ravichandran Ashwin and West Indies' Jason Holder to attain the top spot. Jadeja's all-round exploits helped India win the first Test against Sri Lanka at the IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. He slammed a record-breaking 175* and scalped nine wickets in the match.
Jadeja reaches the summit 👑
— ICC (@ICC) March 9, 2022
Kohli, Pant move up ⬆️
Some big movements in the latest update to the @MRFWorldwide ICC Men's Test Player rankings 📈
Details 👉 https://t.co/BjiD5Avxhk pic.twitter.com/U4dfnrmLmE
Jadeja registered his career-best score in Test cricket. He remained unbeaten on 175 off 228 balls (17 fours and 3 sixes). The Indian all-rounder now holds the record for smashing the highest Test score by an Indian batter at number seven or lower. Earlier, the record was held by Kapil Dev (163 vs Sri Lanka in Kanpur, 1986).
In Mohali, Jadeja became the sixth player to register a 150+ score and five-wicket haul in a Test. He is only the third Indian to do so. Others are Vinoo Mankad (184, 5/196 vs England, 1952), Denis Atkinson (219, 5/56 vs Australia, 1955), Polly Umrigar (172*, 5/107 vs WI, 1962), Gary Sobers (174, 5/41 vs England, 1966), Mushtaq Mohammad (201, 5/49 vs NZ, 1973).
Jadeja has become the seventh player in Test history with over 200 wickets and a score of 175 or more with the bat. Gary Sobers, Wasim Akram, Jacques Kallis, Shakib Al Hasan, Ian Botham, and Jason Gillespie are the others.
Among others, former Indian captain Virat Kohli returns to the top five of the ICC Test Batting Rankings. He (fifth) leapfrogs Australia's Travis Head and the incumbent Indian skipper Rohit Sharma. Kohli scored a defiant 45 in Mohali, his 100th Test appearance. The 33-year-old still eyes his first international century in over two years. He last scored one in November 2019 (136 vs Bangladesh).
Indian wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant enters the top 10 of the ICC Test Rankings for batters, eclipsing Australia's David Warner. The former smashed a game-changing 96 (97) in the first innings of the Mohali Test. Pant fell short of what could have been his fifth century in Test cricket. He smashed 9 fours and 4 sixes in his formidable knock.
