Rangana Herath leapfrogs R Ashwin at second spot in ICC Test rankings

New Delhi, July 19: Sri Lanka's star spinner Rangana Herath has pipped India's Ravichandran Ashwin to climb at the second spot in the latest ICC Test Rankings.

Herath grabbed his eighth ten-wicket match haul in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe as Sri Lanka won the match by 4 wickets in record chase on Tuesday (July 18).

With yet another clinical finish, the veteran spinner has now leapfrogged Ravichandran Ashwin to move within 32 points of Ravindra Jadeja, who is comfotably sitting at the top of the table, making it a 1-2 for left-arm spinners.

However, the top three position is acquired by spinners.

In the latest rankings update also includes performances in the second Test between England and South Africa which the latter won by 340 runs at Trent Bridge on Monday (July 17) to level the four-match series 1-1.

The 39-year-old Herath, who is the most successful left-arm spinner in Tests with a tally of 384 wickets in 81 matches, finished with a match haul of 11 for 249 in Colombo to move up a list in which England's James Anderson and Australia's Josh Hazlewood are the highest ranked pace bowlers in joint-fourth position.

Herath was not the only left-arm spinner to gain in the latest ICC rankings. South Africa's Keshav Maharaj has moved up 12 slots to 26th position after grabbing six wickets at Trent Bridge.

Maharaj now has 543 points, the fourth highest by a South Africa spinner since the country's return to Test cricket in 1992. Paul Harris (705), Paul Adams (588) and Nicky Boje (545) are the only South Africa spinners with higher point tallies in this period.

Zimbabwe captain and leg-spinner Graeme Cremer's nine wickets in Colombo have helped him gain 20 places to a career-best 53rd slot while Anderson's seven wickets at Trent Bridge have pushed him up one place from fifth position, an ICC release stated.

Hashim Amla back in top 10:

In the ICC Test Batsmen Rankings, South Africa opener Hashim Amla has once again made it to the top 10.

Amla has gained six places to reach seventh position with knocks of 78 and 87 against England. While Zimbabwe batsman Craig Ervine' (up 20 places to 40th) and Sikandar Raza (up 28 places to 48th) have attained career-best positions following their centuries against Sri Lanka.

Protea all-rounder Vernon Philander has, meanwhile, made a charge back towards the number one spot for all-rounders with a player of the match performance at Trent Bridge.
Philander scored 54 and 42 and grabbed five wickets against England to gain two places and reach fifth position in a list led by Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan.

ICC Test Bowlers Rankings (as on 19 July, after the second Test between England and South Africa in Nottingham and the one-off Test between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in Colombo):

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points
1 ( - ) Ravindra Jadeja India 898

2 (+1) Rangana Herath SL 866

3 (-1) R Ashwin India 865

4= (+1) James Anderson England 826

( - ) Josh Hazlewood Australia 826

6= (+1) Kagiso Rabada South Africa 785*

( - ) Stuart Broad England 785

8 ( - ) Dale Steyn South Africa 779

9 (+1) Vernon Philander South Africa 767

10 (-1) Neil Wagner New Zealand 745

ICC Test Batsmen Rankings (as on 19 July, after the second Test between England and South Africa in Nottingham and the one-off Test between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in Colombo):

1 ( - ) Steve Smith Australia 941!

2 ( - ) Joe Root England 886

3 ( - ) Kane Williamson New Zealand 880

4 ( - ) Cheteshwar Pujara India 846

5 ( - ) Virat Kohli India 818

6 ( - ) Quinton de Kock South Africa 793*

7 (+6) Hashim Amla South Africa 778

8 (-1) Azhar Ali Pakistan 769

9 (-1) David Warner Australia 759

10 (-1) Lokesh Rahul India 739*!

ICC All-rounders Rankings (as on 19 July, after the second Test between England and South Africa in Nottingham and the one-off Test between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in Colombo):

1 ( - ) Shakib Al Hasan Bangladesh 431

2 ( - ) Ravidra Jadeja India 422!

3 ( - ) Ravichandran Ashwin India 413

4 ( - ) Moeen Ali England 379

5 (+2) Vernon Philander South Africa 351

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