ICC Test Rankings Update: Bairstow, Mominul and Yasir make big leaps

ICC Test Rankings Update: Sportsrush presents before you all the latest changes in the MRF ICC Test Rankings.

The latest update in the MRF ICC Test Rankings has seen the top-performers in the recently concluded Test series gaining significant leaps. Among them are England wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow, Bangladesh’s batsman Mominum Haque and Pakistan’s leg-spinner Yasir Shah.

Bairstow, who scored his sixth Test century against Sri Lanka at Colombo, jumped six positions to reach No. 16. Bairstow’s match-winning innings saw his team whitewashing Sri Lanka 3-0 in their own backyard.

Haque, who scored his eighth Test century against Windies at Chittagong, jumped a whopping 11 positions to reach No. 24. Being the only centurion in a low-scoring match earned Haque the ‘Man of the Match’ record.

Among the three, Shah’s performance will go down as the most groundbreaking for he registered the second-best bowling figures for a Pakistani bowler ever. Match figures of 14/184 saw Shah take a giant leap from No. 19 to No. 10.

Among the batsmen, India captain Virat Kohli is still the No. 1 batsman and is followed by Steve Smith, who remains resolute on the table despite not playing for eight months now.

The batsmen who have moved up the order are Pakistan’s Azhar Ali, Sri Lankan pair of Kusal Mendis and Roshen Silva, England’s Ben Stokes and Windies’ Shane Dowrich.

Ali moved from No. 15 to No. 12, Mendis moved from No. 28 to No. 20, Silva moved from No. 53 to No. 48, Stokes from No. 36 to No. 31 and Dowrich from No. 65 to No. 58.

In Henry Nicholls (No. 17), Jos Buttler (No. 18), Haris Sohail (No. 38), Babar Azam (No. 39) and Ben Foakes (No. 50), there are also a few batsmen who have achieved career-best rankings.

The bowlers category has seen South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada rise to the top of the table. While South Africa haven’t played a Test of late, it has happened on the back of England’s James Anderson missing a Test and subsequently losing points.

Other than Shah, other bowlers who have moved up the ladder are Bangladesh’s Taijul Islam (No. 21), England’s Stokes at (No. 28), Windies’ Devendra Bishoo ( No. 32), England’s Adil Rashid (No. 36), England’s Jack Leach (No. 41) and the Sri Lankan duo of Lakshan Sandakan (No. 45) and Malinda Pushpakumara (No. 61).

With 116 rating points under their belt, India continue to retain their No. 1 Test position. They are followed by England (108) and South Africa (106).

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