Veteran English pacer James Anderson has been crowned the No. 1 Test bowler in the latest ICC rankings, making him the oldest bowler to ever hold the title. The erstwhile No. 1 Pat Cummins is now at No. 3, ending his four-year stint at the top of the pile.
Anderson made the pink ball talk during the first Test against New Zealand, claiming seven wickets in England's mammoth win at Mount Maunganui.
The 40-year-old English seamer last held the No. 1 ranking in May 2016, and the latest stint marks his sixth at the top of the rankings. He currently has 866 points to his name.
Cummins, on the other hand, is having a woeful series against India. He claimed three wickets across the first two Tests and was the lone seamer in their most recent defeat in Delhi.
The poor set of performances has lowered the Aussie skipper's rating to 858, allowing Ravichandran Ashwin to claim the second spot with a rating of 864.
Cummins is currently back in Australia due to a family illness. Reports suggest that he should return in time for the third Test in Indore, which begins on March 1. Should he not make it back to India in time, former skipper Steve Smith is primed to lead the team.
Indian players make massive strides in latest ICC rankings
On the back of the team's success over the No. 1-ranked Australia at home, numerous Indian players have improved their rankings, particularly the all-rounders.
Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel have been two of the most influential players for India in the series so far. They have been rewarded for that with a major boost in terms of their Test rankings.
Jadeja, who recorded a career-best figure of 7-42 in the second innings of the second Test, jumped seven places to break into the top 10 of Test bowlers. He is currently at the ninth spot.
His fellow left-arm all-rounder teammate is now the fifth-ranked all-rounder in Tests, after jumping up two places. Patel has been a thorn in the Australian side due to his batting, which has been a major revelation in this series. He has scored two crucial fifties so far and is the second-leading run scorer, only behind Rohit Sharma.
It is to be noted that India will qualify for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final and claim the No. 1 spot in the ICC's Test rankings if they win the next contest.
How long will James Anderson hold on to the top spot in the ICC rankings? Let us know what you think.
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