Opportunity for Jadeja to reclaim top rankings

DUBAI: India’s Ravindra Jadeja can reclaim the top bowling and all-rounder rankings in the ICC Test Player Rankings when India takes on Sri Lanka in the three-Test series, starting in Kolkata from Thursday.

The 28-year-old, who has played 32 Tests in which he has taken 155 wickets and scored 1136 runs, currently sits second in both the categories. In the bowlers’ rankings, he is 12 points behind England’s James Anderson, while in the all-rounders’ list, he is eight points behind Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh.

If Jadeja puts up a strong show with both bat and ball, then he will regain the top slots he last held following his side’s second Test against Sri Lanka in August. He was the top-ranked bowler until Anderson leapfrogged him on September 9 following the Lord’s Test against the West Indies.

India’s sixth-ranked Virat Kohli will also be eyeing a return to the top-five among batsmen. He trails Australia’s David Warner by just one point. Other Indian batsmen inside the top-10 are Lokesh Rahul (eighth) and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane (ninth).

The other India bowlers to feature prominently in the rankings are Ravichandran Ashwin (fourth), Mohammed Shami (19th), Umesh Yadav (27th), Ishant Sharma (29th) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (37th).

Sri Lanka have two batsmen in Dimuth Karunaratne (17th) and captain Dinesh Chandimal (20th) inside the top-20. Batsmen aiming for upward movements are Angelo Mathews (24th), Niroshan Dickwella (40th), Dilruwan Perera (78th) and Lahiru Thirimanne (113th).

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath is Sri Lanka’s highest-ranked bowler in fifth place. He is followed by Dilruwan Perera (25th), Suranga Lakmal (36th), Lakshan Sandakan (69th), Angelo Mathews (81st) and Lahiru Gamage (108th).In the ICC Test Team Rankings, number-one-ranked India (125 points) lead sixth-ranked Sri Lanka (94 points) by 31 points.