General News: Jadeja rises to career-best No.2 in Test bowlers' rankings

[nairrk]

[Image: prv_f0f2b_1482309388.jpg]

Ravindra Jadeja shot up the International Cricket Council (ICC) bowlers' ranking in Tests to second spot, behind only teammate R Ashwin, a release confirmed on Wednesday (December 21). Ashwin continues to hold the top spot with 887 points and is eight points clear of the left-arm spinner.

Jadeja played a key role in India's win in the fifth and final Test against England in Chennai and returned a match haul of 10 for 154 with seven wickets in the second innings. This is only the second such instance where a duo from India is leading the table after Bishan Singh Bedi and Bhagwath Chandrasekhar in 1974.

The fact that Jadeja eased past the likes of Josh Hazlewood, James Anderson, Dale Steyn and Rangana Herth shows how dominant he was against the English batsmen. His credentials also received a shot in the arm as he now holds the third spot in the all-rounders' rankings. He ended the series with 224 runs and 26 wickets to cap off a magnificent outing.

Mitchell Starc, the Australian pacer, who continued to impress against Pakistan, is now at No.6 in Tests.

India took a firm grip on the top spot in the Test team rankings will end 2016 as the top-ranked side. The upcoming three-match Test series gives South Africa the chance to close in on India.

If they beat Sri Lanka 3-0, they'll jump to second spot. However, the result will also depend on how the Australia-Pakistan series pans out as the hosts are currently ranked second with 105 points.

Source: