Following India’s recent 2-1 series victory over Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, several Indian cricketers have experienced significant improvements in their ICC Test rankings. Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Axar Patel have all made notable gains.
Virat Kohli, who scored his first Test century in over three years during the series, jumped seven places to be ranked 13th on the list. Although he hasn’t broken into the top 10 yet, his performance is an encouraging sign for Indian fans. He finished the series with 297 runs, the second-highest run-getter after Rishabh Pant (ranked 5th) and Rohit Sharma (10th).
Ravichandran Ashwin, who played a crucial role in India’s victory, cemented his position as the No. 1-ranked Test bowler after displacing James Anderson from the top spot. Ashwin’s five-wicket haul in Ahmedabad, the 32nd of his career, propelled him to 869 points, 10 ahead of Anderson. Ashwin finished the series with 26 wickets and was named Player of the Series, sharing the honours with Ravindra Jadeja.
Axar Patel, who had a series to remember, was also rewarded handsomely. His performances with the bat saw him score 264 runs, including three half-centuries, and rise eight places to be ranked 44th on the list of Test batters. Although he only picked up two wickets, his contributions with the bat were crucial for India’s success.
Australia’s Usman Khawaja, Cameron Green, and Travis Head also saw their performances acknowledged. Khawaja, who led the charts with 333 runs, rose two positions to be ranked seventh. All-rounder Cameron Green, following a maiden Test century, climbed 11 places to reach a career-best 26th position. Travis Head, meanwhile, maintained his fifth position.
Overall, it was an impressive series for both teams, with several players making significant gains in the ICC Test rankings.
