Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has ascended to the summit of the ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings following an impressive performance in his 100th Test match. Ashwin’s stellar display saw him clinch a nine-wicket match haul against England, propelling him to reclaim the top spot from compatriot Jasprit Bumrah.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Indian player congratulated the ace-bowler. “Congratulations to @ashwinravi99 on becoming the @ICC Number 1 Test bowler for the sixth time! What an achievement for Team India’s legendary spinner. Your consistent excellence is an inspiration to all,” said Jay Shah.
In his milestone match, Ashwin delivered remarkable bowling figures of four for 51 and five for 77, contributing significantly to India’s commanding victory by an innings and 64 runs in Dharamsala. This triumph also sealed India’s 4-1 win in the ICC World Test Championship series against England.
This marks Ashwin’s sixth stint at the top of the Test bowling rankings, with his first ascent to the pinnacle dating back to December 2015. His return to the summit underscores his enduring prowess and consistency in the longest format of the game.
Meanwhile, Player of the Match Kuldeep Yadav also enjoyed a notable rise in the rankings, climbing 15 places to achieve a career-best 16th position after an impressive performance, securing seven wickets in the match.
India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill also made significant gains in the rankings, with Sharma ascending five places to sixth and Gill reaching a career-best 20th position. Additionally, Yashasvi Jaiswal, named Player of the Series, ascended two places to eighth after registering a half-century, accumulating an impressive 740 rating points after nine Tests.
In the England camp, Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow advanced one slot each in the batting rankings, while spinner Shoaib Bashir made significant progress, moving up 11 places to 71st position.
