ICC Test Rankings: Ravindra Jadeja joins Ravichandran Ashwin as top-ranked bowler after success in 2nd Test

New Delhi: India’s Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have become the first pair of spinners to be jointly top-ranked in the ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers. The announcement was made by International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday after the rankings released after the second Test against Australia in Bengaluru. (Ind vs Aus, 2nd Test: As it happened | Photos)

Jadeja, who claimed seven wickets in the second Test against Australia at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, moved up one rank to reach the top position for the first time in his career. The last time two bowlers shared the top spot was in April 2008 when Dale Steyn and Muttiah Muralidaran were at the top.

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Ashwin, who claimed eight wickets in the match, including his 25th five-fer in Tests, played a crucial role in the series-levelling win on Day 4 against Steve Smith's men. Ashwin's tally of eight wickets took him past spin legend Bishan Bedi’s tally of 266 wickets and made him the fifth-highest wicket-taker for India in Tests with 269 wickets.

Australia spinner Nathan Lyon’s eight wickets in the match have lifted him two places to 16th rank while his team’s left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe and India pace bowler Umesh Yadav have gained one place each to reach career-best 28th and 29th places, respectively.

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In the batting department, Australia captain Steve Smith has maintained his reign at the top for 77 Tests, going past Ricky Ponting’s 76 matches and now has the third longest stint at the top among Australians after Steve Waugh (94) and Don Bradman (93).

India captain Virat Kohli has conceded the second rank to England’s Joe Root after managing only 27 runs in the match and 40 in the series so far. Root is now one point ahead of Kohli at 848 points.