Stacking up another impressive first in his nascent career, 22-year-old India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has broken into the top-10 of the International Cricket Council's latest Test batting rankings, riding on his red-hot form in the ongoing five-match home series against England. (Cricket News)
Jaiswal had climbed three places to be ranked 12th last week, and has now jumped two more spots to stand 10th, with 727 rating points to his name. What exemplifies his ascent is the fact that Jaiswal had begun the series against England in 69th position.
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With the Dharamsala Test still to be played, Jaiswal is the only left-handed Indian batter to have amassed 600 or more runs in a Test series. He has joined the illustrious company of Dilip Sardesai, Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli to have achieved the feat.
The man from Bhadohi has notched up 655 runs in the series so far at a Bradmanesque average of 93.57, which includes two double centuries and as many fifties. If his run-scoring prowess continues at the HPCA Stadium, Jaiswal could well surpass Gavaskar’s record of most runs (774) for any Indian batter in a Test series.
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Meanwhile, captain Rohit Sharma has ascended two rungs to be ranked 11th, and Indian batting mainstay Virat Kohli has also moved one spot up to eighth, despite missing the entire five-Test series against England.
Kane Williamson continues to be perched on the top spot, and former England skipper Joe Root has replaced Steve Smith at the second spot after a superlative century in the fourth Test in Ranchi.
As for bowlers, India’s ace all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is down one spot to be placed seventh while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and milestone man Ravichandran Ashwin (set to play his 100th Test in Dharamsala) are still number one and two, respectively.
