ICC Test Rankings: Ajinkya Rahane Makes Big Gains, R Ashwin Remains No. 1 Bowler

15.06.2023 - 00:27 sports.ndtv.com

India's comeback man Ajinkya Rahane on Wednesday climbed to the 37th position while Shardul Thakur rose to 94th among batters, even as Ravichandran Ashwin maintained his top spot among Test bowlers despite not featuring in the World Test Championship final.

In a rare achievement, batters from Australia occupy the top three places in the rankings as Steve Smith and Travis Head joined top-ranked Marnus Labuschagne following their centuries in the WTC final win against India at The Oval.

Despite India's 209-run loss in the marquee match, Rahane's scores of 89 and 46 helped him return to the rankings chart in 37th position while Shardul, who scored a half-century in the first innings, moved up six places.

Dashing wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant, who is recovering following a car accident, remains the highest-ranked Indian at number 10 while skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are static on 12th and 13th spots respectively.

cricket India Cricket Team Test 1 Steve Smith Rohit Sharma Ravichandran Ashwin Ajinkya Rahane Rishabh Pant Shardul Thakur Jasprit Bumrah Australia New Zealand India county Kane

It has been more than 10 years of India's ICC trophy drought. In 2013, the side won the Champions Trophy and since then it has struggled to finish things off. India lost to Sri Lanka in the final of 2014 T20 World Cup before the side lost the 2015 ODI World Cup semi-final at the hands of Australia. In the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final, India were defeated by West Indies. They then suffered a loss against arch-rivals Pakistan in the final of Champions Trophy in 2017.

"Don't Understand The Thought Process": Ex-BCCI President's Blunt Take On Ajinkya Rahane's Elevation To Test Vice Captaincy

Sourav Ganguly finds it extremely baffling that Ajinkya Rahane has been handed Test vice captaincy after spending nearly 18 months on the sidelines as the former India skipper demanded "consistency and continuity" in the selection process. Rahane, 35, was out of favour for one-and-a-half years but was India's best batter in the World Test Championship final against Australia, with scores of 89 and 46 at the Oval, earlier this month.

Not Ajinkya Rahane, Ex India Star Wanted This Veteran As Vice-captain For WI Tests

After the debacle in the World Test Championship final against Australia, Team India is all set to face West Indies in an all-format tour. The WTC final, which was played at The Oval, saw a comeback of veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane to the Test team, who had last played for India in 2022. Few months ago, Rahane was not even in consideration for India's Test squad but after a successful IPL stint with the Chennai Super Kings, he found himself a place in the WTC final and emerged as India's leading run-scorer in the match. To add a cherry on the cake, the right-handed batter also got back his position as the vice-captain for the Test series against West Indies.

On Ajinkya Rahane's Selection As Vice-Captain, Sunil Gavaskar's "Missed Opportunity" Retort

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has questioned the selectors over the appointment of Ajinkya Rahane as vice-captain of the Test team for the upcoming tour of West Indies. The BCCI announced Team India's squads for the Test and ODI series against the West Indies, starting next month. While Rohit Sharma will lead the team in both formats, Rahane's appointment as vice-captain has raised several eyebrows. Rahane was recalled to the side for the WTC Final against Australia, and was India's top performer with the bat in the match.

Ravichandran Ashwin's Message For Yashasvi Jaiswal And Ruturaj Gaikwad After Test Call-Up Wins Internet

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad were among the top performers in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) and their consistency was rewarded on Friday as both youngsters were picked in the India squad for the two-match Test series against West Indies. While Jaiswal was just part of the Test squad, Gaikwad was also included in the ODI squad. Veteran India skipper Ravichandran Ashwin took to Twitter to post a heartfelt message for both the youngsters after their maiden call-up to the Indian cricket team.

Yashasvi Jaiswal Earns Maiden Call Up For West Indies Tests, Cheteshwar Pujara Dropped

The BCCI on Friday announced Team India's squad for two Tests and three ODIs against West Indies. Yashasvi Jaiswal, on the back of his breakthrough season in the Indian Premier League (IPL), earned his maiden India call-up, while pacer Mukesh Kumar also earned his first Test call-up. In another huge development, veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped from the side for the two match Test series. Rohit Sharma will lead the side in both Test and ODIs, while Ajinkya Rahane and Hardik Pandya will deputise him in Tests and ODIs, respectively.