Yashasvi Jaiswal breaks into top-20 of ICC Test Rankings

Young India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal on Wednesday broke into the top-20 of the ICC Test Rankings, rising 14 spots to 15th in the batting charts after scoring back-to-back double-centuries in the ongoing series against England.

The 22-year-old left-hander joined a select band of seven cricketers to score double-centuries in two consecutive Tests, including two Indians – Vinod Kambli and Virat Kohli.

Jaiswal scored 209 in India’s first innings in the second Test at Visakhapatnam and then hit unbeaten 214 runs in the second essay at Rajkot to contribute in the home team’s massive 434-run victory over England that took it 2-1 up in the series.

Ravindra Jadeja, who was the player-of-the-match in Rajkot, also climbed up in the batting rankings from 41st to 34th position after his knock of 112 in the first innings, the ICC said in a statement.

He also returned with a seven-wicket match haul that lifted him three places to sixth in the bowling rankings. Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who entered the elite 500 Test wickets club at Rajkot, climbed a rung to the second position, behind pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.

Jadeja and Ashwin continued to hold on to the first two spots in the Test all-rounders rankings. Jadeja consolidated his position among the all-rounders, going from 416 to a career-best 469 rating points.

India captain Rohit Sharma moved up one spot to 12th in the batting list after scoring 131 in the first innings at Rajkot, while Shubman Gill (91) progressed three places to 35th after coming close to a century in the second innings.

Debutants Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel also entered the rankings in 75th and 100th positions, respectively.

Star batter Kohli, who is not playing in the series due to personal reasons, remains the only Indian in the top-10 batters’ chart, at the seventh spot.

For England, opener Ben Duckett’s quickfire 153 in the first innings lifted him 12 places to 13th.

New Zealand’s Kane Wiliamson strengthened his position at the top of the batting rankings after notching a century against South Africa, his seventh in seven Tests, joining Aravinda de Silva, Mohammad Yousuf and Clyde Walcott as the only players to have achieved the unique feat.

He is followed by Steve Smith and Daryl Mitchell.