The latest update release on the list of ICC test rankings sees Rishabh Pant in the top 10 for the first time in his career. Along with senior players such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Pant finds himself in the top ten batsmen list. The 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman shares the number seven spot with Rohit Sharma and New Zealand’s Henry Nicholas. With his impressive performances against England and Australia, Pant moved few positions quickly in the rankings.
The rest of the players above Pant and Sharma retain their position from the previous update with New Zealand’s Kane Williamson at the helm of the ranking with 919 points, followed by Australia’s Steve Smith (891), and Marnus Labuschagne (878). England’s Joe Root sits on the fourth position with 831 points, followed by Virat Kohli (at 814 points) and Pakistan’s Babar Azam (at 760 points) at number five and number six, respectively.
Pant’s quickfire century against England in the fourth test at Ahmedabad last week played a significant role in India’s 3-1 series victory. This seven jump is also credited to his 544 runs from the last seven Test matches, which makes him India’s top-scorer in the 2021 season and third-best tally in the world. The match-winning knock of 89 runs in the fourth innings at Brisbane in January was the most eye-catching innings in 2021 for Pant.
Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin moves to second position in bowlers’ rankings with 850 points with Pat Cummins leading the table with 908 points. Ashwin enjoyed a stellar series against England, ending up with 32 wickets in four matches. He also became second fastest in going past 400 wickets. Ashwin’s century in the second test and stellar bowling performances also keeps him fourth in all rounder’s rankings behind Ravindra Jadeja (386 points), Ben Stokes (393 points), and Jason Holder (407 points). India also moves to the top spot in the Test rankings.