Rishabh Pant re-enters ICC Test batting rankings at No. 6 after Chennai century against Bangladesh

First Published Sep 25, 2024, 3:15 PM IST | Last Updated Sep 25, 2024, 3:15 PM IST

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has made a significant comeback in the ICC Test batting rankings, re-entering at No. 6 after a remarkable performance in his first Test match since his car accident nearly two years ago. In the recent Test match in Chennai, Pant scored 39 and an impressive 109 runs off just 128 balls, contributing to India’s 280-run victory over Bangladesh. This performance has propelled him to sixth place with 731 rating points.

Yashasvi Jaiswal also made headlines, moving up to fifth place in the rankings. Jaiswal’s innings of 56 in the first innings helped him accumulate 751 rating points, pushing him ahead of his previous sixth-place position. Leading the Test batting rankings is Joe Root of England, who remains firmly in first with 899 points, followed by New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, who scored 55 and 30 in the first Test in Galle, with 852 points. Daryl Mitchell (760 points) and Steven Smith (757 points) are also positioned above Jaiswal.

In contrast, Rohit Sharma saw a significant drop in the rankings. Following disappointing scores of 6 and 5 in the Chennai Test, Rohit slipped from No. 5 to No. 10, now just four rating points above Pakistan's Babar Azam, who is ranked 11th. Virat Kohli also faced a setback, dropping five places to No. 12 after scoring 6 and 17, while Shubman Gill's stellar performance, with an unbeaten 119 in the second innings against Bangladesh, saw him rise five spots to 14th.

In the bowling department, Sri Lanka’s Prabath Jayasuriya emerged as a key performer, earning the Player-of-the-Match award in Galle for his impressive figures of 4 for 136 and 5 for 68. This performance propelled him up five places to No. 8 in the ICC Test bowling rankings. The leaderboard is dominated by Indian and Australian bowlers, with R Ashwin at No. 1 after taking 6 wickets in the Chennai Test. Jasprit Bumrah follows closely at No. 2, while Ravindra Jadeja occupies the sixth spot, sandwiched between Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.

In ODI cricket, Afghanistan's white-ball stars have made remarkable strides. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was a standout performer in the series against South Africa, where he rebounded from a duck in the first ODI to score 105 and 89 runs in the subsequent matches. This stellar performance helped Afghanistan clinch the series 2-1 and elevated Gurbaz to eighth place in the ODI batting rankings, marking a rise of ten spots and making him the first Afghan player to break into the top ten.

Travis Head of Australia also enjoyed a boost in the ODI rankings after his explosive 154 not out in the first ODI against England, along with contributing 2 wickets for 34 runs with the ball. His remarkable display saw him rise seven spots to No. 9.

Rashid Khan was another pivotal player for Afghanistan, claiming seven wickets in the series against South Africa. His performance earned him an impressive rise of eight spots in the ODI bowling rankings, placing him at No. 3, behind South Africa's Keshav Maharaj and Australia’s Adam Zampa.

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