Bumrah dethrones Ashwin to become first India pacer to claim top spot in men’s bowler Test rankings

Dubai [UAE], February 7 (ANI): India pacer Jasprit Bumrah dethroned his compatriot Ravichandran Ashwin to take the No.1 spot on the latest ICC Men's Test Bowler rankings and became the first Indian pacer to do so.
ICC issued the latest Test rankings on Wednesday which saw Bumrah rise to the summit of the ranking after he registered figures of 9/91 during India's series levelling victory in the second Test at Vizag.
Bumrah leapfrogged from no. 3 spot and moved to the top of the rankings ahead of the experienced spinner. Ashwin who has been at the top since March last year bagged three wickets in the same match and dropped to third spot.
South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada maintained his second spot despite missing out on the ongoing two-match Test series against New Zealand.
Before reaching the summit, the 30-year-old never managed to make it past the third spot despite claiming five 10-wicket hauls in his career.
Two of those five-wicket hauls have come in 2024, the first one came against South Africa in Cape Town in January, where he claimed 6/61 and then went on to take 6/45 in his recent appearance against England.
Bumrah is the fourth bowler from India to top the rankings after Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Bishan Bedi.
Sri Lanka spinner Prabath Jayasuriya moved to sixth following his eight-wicket match haul in the one-off Test against Afghanistan. His compatriot Asitha Fernando improved seven spots to 34th after claiming six wickets in the same match.
Coming to the men's Test batting rankings, Yashasvi Jaiswal reaped rewards after scoring a magnificent double ton (209) in the second Test against England.
The young opener climbed 37 places and moved to 29th spot. New Zealand's experienced batter Kane Williamson retained his spot at the top.
Australia's Steve Smith reclaimed the second spot while England batter Joe Root dropped to third.
In the all-rounder rankings, England skipper Ben Stokes moved to fourth and India's spinner Axar Patel claimed the fifth spot after the conclusion of the Vizag Test.
Coming to the ODI bowler rankings, Australia spinner Adam Zampa moved to the third spot with South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj at the top and Josh Hazlewood in the second spot.
Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam retained his top spot with India trio of Shubman Gill (2), Virat Kohli (3) and Rohit Sharma (4) right on his heels. (ANI)