New Delhi: India’s leading off-spinner R Ashwin on Wednesday moved a couple of places in ICC Test rankings and secured World No 1 spot for bowlers. With this feat, the off-spinner has replaced England’s legendary pacer James Anderson. Ashwin’s brilliant form and streak of wickets in the ongoing Border Gavaskar trophy helped him climb to the top spot. Ashwin has 864 rating points while Anderson has 859 rating points. The Indian off-spinner has been on a roll in the first & second Test match against Australia. In first Test, he scalped 8 wickets while claimed 6 wickets in the 2nd Test at Delhi stadium. England’s legendary player is the oldest bowler to occupy the top spot, however, his below sublime performance in match against New Zealand resulted in his rankings drop. As the ICC releases Test rankings after every match, one match performance can become the deciding factor for any player. Before Anderson, Australia’s Pat Cummins occupied the top spot. However, owing to his break from the series, he has now moved to 3rd position. Australian skipper returned home after 2nd Test match, however, he didn’t provide any reason for absence from series. Closely following them in the Top 10 list are Jasprit Bumrah, Shaheen Afridi. Both haven’t played any Test match since last year but their past performances in Test helped them dominate the rankings. Indian pacer won’t be playing any Test match soon as he has been ruled out of the series for next 5-6 months. Another Indian bowler in the Top ICC list is Ravindra Jadeja, who features in Top 10 list. On back of his powerful performance in Test series, his ranking improved from 9th position to 8th.
