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The enthralling battle to be rated the top Test bowler in the world is as tight as ever following the latest update to the ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings.
It has been a close race between England seamer James Anderson, India veteran Ravichandran Ashwin and Australia captain Pat Cummins in recent weeks and there is now a tie at the top after the ICC updated their weekly rankings list on Wednesday. Ashwin drops six rating points after picking up four wickets during the third Test of India's ongoing series against Australia, with Anderson now tied with the experienced spinner on a total of 859 rating points. Cummins' absence for the final two Tests in India has seen his rating drop to 849 points, with the right-arm still maintaining his place in third spot on the rankings and within striking distance of the leading two players. There may be another challenger on the horizon soon too, with South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada improving three spots to fourth and up to 807 rating points on the latest list for Test bowlers after the 27-year-old collected eight wickets in the Proteas' 87-run victory over the West Indies during the first Test at Centurion. Australia spinner Nathan Lyon is also an eye-catching mover inside the top 10, with the veteran improving five places to ninth overall following his match-winning 11-wicket haul in the third Test against India. The only change inside the top 10 for Test batters sees Australia opener Usman Khawaja move up two places to ninth overall, while South Africa right-hander Aiden Markram (up 21 places to 33rd) and West Indies middle-order performer Jermaine Blackwood (up 12 spots to 35) also make giant strides following impressive performances in the first Test. There is also plenty of movement on the latest ODI Player Rankings, following the completion of England's series in Bangladesh. England opener Jason Roy improves five places to 12 overall on the list for batters, while skipper Jos Buttler (up four spots to 16th) and the experienced Dawid Malan (up 22 spots to 35th) also catch the eye. From a Bangladesh perspective, it is all about veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, after his Player of the Match performance in the third and final game of the series. Shakib smashed 75 with the bat, backed that up with a four-wicket haul during England's reply, and was duly rewarded in all ODI ranking categories. Shakib already holds the No.1 ranking for ODI all-rounders, but his latest efforts saw the 35-year-old improve five places to 27th on the list for batters and two spots to fifth for bowlers. (ANI)
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