NEW DELHI: India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah on Wednesday rose to the top of the International Cricket Council’s Test bowling rankings, becoming the first-ever fast bowler from the country to achieve the feat. The 30-year-old played a key role in India’s series-equalling victory over England last week, with a match haul of nine wickets.

Bumrah replaced his teammate, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, at the top of the ICC table. While Bumrah climbed three places to reach the top, Ashwin dropped to third. South African pacer Kagiso Rabada held on to second place despite being out of action in the ongoing Test series in New Zealand.

Before Bumrah, only three Indian bowlers have been at the pinnacle of ICC’s Test bowling rankings: Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and the legendary left-arm spinner Bishan Singh Bedi, who passed away last year. The previous highest-ranking Indian pace bowler was Kapil Dev, who held the second rank for a brief period between December 1979 and February 1980. Left-armer Zaheer Khan was number three from October to November 2020.

In the latest round of rankings, Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal leapfrogged 37 places to become the 29th-ranked Test batsman, on the back of his double century against England. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who led his team to victory against South Africa Wednesday with a century in each innings, continued to dominate the Test batting rankings. — AFP