ICC Test Rankings: Pujara and Jadeja Rise to 2nd

During the India-Sri Lanka series, Cheteshwar Pujara scored 143 runs against Sri Lanka in Nagpur. His efforts have been rewarded by a rise in the ICC Test rankings for batsmen by propelling him to the No. 2 spot. This knock added to other three big knocks by Pujara,?Virat Kohli?and?Rohit Sharma?propelled India to an innings and 239-run win. In the ICC Test rankings, the top five players in the world are separated by just 11 points. Pujara is no stranger to the number two ranking, having held it twice. The first after the Ranchi Test against Australia in March and second in the Colombo Test against Sri Lanka in August.

Pujara earned 22 points for his knock at the top of the order and vaulted two places in the latest ICC Test rankings. It was released following India?s win over Sri Lanka and Australia?s 10-wicket win over England in the first Ashes Test. Pujara has a career-high 888 points to his belt. He leads skipper Virat Kohli by 11 points. Kohli himself has 877 points courtesy his fifth double-century of his career.

Meanwhile,?Steve Smith?extended his lead following a crucial 141 run knock in the first innings at the Gabba in Brisbane. Smith?s 21st Test century helped him reach 941 points. He is joint-fifth in terms of the highest points tally in batters history in Tests. He is trailing Sir Don Bradman (961), Len Hutton (945), Jack Hobbs (942)?Ricky Ponting?(942), and level with Peter May (941).

England captain Joe Root sits third and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson lies fourth. while sixth-ranked?David Warner?of Australia is another 51 points behind Kohli. After Smith and Pujara, England captain Joe Root occupies the third spot. New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson is fourth, while Australia?s David Warner is 51 points behind Kohli. Smith leads Pujara by 53 points.

In the bowler?s rankings,?Ravindra Jadeja?reclaimed the second spot. ?Jaddu? finished the four-day Test with five wickets in the bag. He only conceded 84 runs during his entire spell. Mitchell Starc was also rewarded for a great bowling effort ? where he finished with 6/128 ? to go up to 10th. Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin has maintained his fourth place in the rankings with 849 points. James Anderson continues to lead the chart but has dropped five points after picking two wickets in the Ashes Test ? he now has 891 points.