As many as 3 Indian players are in the top 10 in the ICC Test Rankings for all-rounders, updated on February 15. Axar Patel moved 6 spots to No. 7 after his match-winning 84 in the Nagpur Test against Australia.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 15, 2023 16:21 IST
ICC Test Rankings: Axar Patel breaks into top-10 for first time in all-rounder rankings (AP Photo)
By India Today Web Desk: Axar Patel reached new heights as the India all-rounder broke into the top 10 of ICC Test Rankings for all-rounders. Axar moved to the 7th spot in the all-rounder’s charts after his statement-making 84 in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. Axar Patel jumped 6 spots from 13th to become the 3rd Indian player to be in the top 10 of the ICC Test charts.
Axar Patel was picked ahead of Kuldeep Yadav for the 1st Test in Nagpur and the left-arm spinner justified his selection by hitting a crucial 84 that helped India stretch their first innings total to 400 after Rohit Sharma’s 120 and Ravindra Jadeja’s 70. Axar also picked up a wicket in the second innings as India wrapped up the series opener inside 3 days, clinching an innings and 132-run victory.
It was Axar’s second fifty in his Test career as the Gujarat spinner after his 52 against New Zealand in Mumbai in 2021. The 29-year-old made sure he carried over his limited-overs form into Test cricket when he got the opportunity in the high-profile series opener.
With Axar’s entry into the top 10, as many as three Indians in the top 10 of the ICC Test Rankings for all-rounder. Ravindra Jadeja, who picked up 7 wickets, including a 5-wicket haul in the first innings, in the Nagpur Test retained his top spot while R Ashwin retained his No. 2 spot. No other Test-playing nation has more than 2 all-rounders in the top 10.
India also achieved a rare rise to the top spot across all three formats. While they were No. 1 in ODIs and T20Is, the massive in the first Test helped them leapfrog Australia to the top spot in the Test rankings, updated on Wednesday.
ICC TEST ALL-ROUNDER RANKINGS
1. Ravindra Jadeja (India)
2. R Ashwin (India)
3. Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
4. Ben Stokes (England)
5. Mitchell Starc (Australia)
6. Jason Holder (West Indies)
7. Axar Patel (India)
8. Kyle Mayers (West Indies)
9. Pat Cummins (Australia)
10. Joe Root (England)
India reaped the rewards for the trio of spinners chipping in with both bat and ball in the first Test. However, Australia were without two of their three big match-winners for the first Test as Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Cameron Green were out with injuries.
While Starc and Green are expected to return for the 2nd Test, starting February 17 in Delhi, Hazlewood is set to be on the sidelines for some more time.