Dubai, Feb 15 (Representative) India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is on the brink of returning to the top spotin the ICC Men’s Test Bowler Rankings, while Ravindra Jadeja also jumped higher after their joint demolition of Australia. The spin twins haunted Australia in the first Test between the two leading nations in the current cycle of the ICC World Test Championship with a combined 15 wickets as India won by an innings 132 runs. Ashwin ensured India wrapped up their stunning victory before tea on the third day, as the veteran off-spinner took 5/37 in the second innings to go with 3/42 earlier in the match. The 36-year-old has climbed to the second spot in the Test bowler rankings, 21 rating points behind Australia captain Pat Cummins and a return to the No.1 ranking for the first time since 2017. While Ashwin stepped up in what turned out to be the last session of the Test, Jadeja did thedamage on the first day with 5/47 including the prized wickets of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.
Jadeja then took 2/34 in the second innings to partner with Ashwin as the spin twins quickly dismissed Australia’s top seven batters and left them reeling at 67/7 on the way to being all outfor just 91. Emerging West Indies spinner Gudakesh Motie announced himself with 19 wickets in two Tests against Zimbabwe, and has surged 77 places to be ranked 46th after only three Tests. India captain Rohit Sharma has been rewarded for his match-defining ton in Nagpur with a rise from 10th to 8th in the ICC Men’s Test Batting RankingsRohit came to the crease after Australia were all out for 177 in their first innings, then made the wicket look all-but tame with an assured 120 that set the tone for the rest of the match.
In contrast Australia’s openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja have paid the price for each being dismissed cheaply twice.Warner has fallen six places to 20th after his scores of 1 and 10, while Khawaja has dropped two spots to 10th after only making 1 and 5 in the first Test against India.India all-rounder Axar Patel has leaped six places to 7th in the ICC Men’s Test All-Rounder Rankings after coming to the crease at a tense 240/7 then hitting a patient 84 for his highest score in Tests.Kraigg Brathwaite is another Test captain to rise in the batting rankings as the West Indies opener moved four spots to 21st after notching 182 in the first Test against Zimbabwe. The West Indies skipper’s opening partner Tagenarine Chanderpaul made an even bigger leap, as the 26-year-old climbed 28 spots to 58th after his huge 207* in the same Test against Zimbabwe.