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| R Ashwin's career-best match haul of 13 for 140 in the Indore Test helped him reclaim the top spot |
R Ashwin's career-best match haul of 13 for 140 against New Zealand in the Indore Test has propelled him back to the top of the Test bowlers table, as per the latest rankings released by the International Cricket Council on Wednesday. Ashwin had earlier briefly held the position in July.
Ashwin, who was ranked third before the Indore Test began - behind Dale Steyn and James Anderson - picked up 6 for 81 in the first innings and followed it up with 7 for 59 in the second to achieve a career-best rating of 900 points. In doing so, Ashwin joined an elite club of bowlers to have attained 900 ratings points since 2000, Muttiah Muralitharan, Glenn McGrath, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn and Shaun Pollock being the others.
Ashwin is currently trailed by Steyn, who is on 878 points, followed by Anderson, who has 870. While both pacers will be turning out in Test whites for their respective countries soon, Ashwin has a good chance to retain the top spot until the end of the year, with India in the midst of a lengthy home season. If he does so, it will mark the second year in succession that Ashwin closes out the calendar year as the No. 1-ranked Test bowler in the world. Ashwin is also perched atop the allrounders' table, while fellow allrounder Ravindra Jadeja has surged to a career-best third, a position he shares with England's Moeen Ali.
Among Test batsmen, Ajinkya Rahane's innings of 188 and 23 not out in Indore helped him shoot up to a career-best sixth position, making him the only Indian batsman in the top 10. Cheteshwar Pujara, who rose to 14th, and Virat Kohli, who climbed to 16th, are the closest among other Indian batsmen on the table, which is led by Australia captain Steven Smith.