Dubai [UAE], January 8 (ANI): Australia pacer Scott Boland, who played three games in the recently concluded Border Gavaskar Trophy against India that too being the fourth pacer who played only in Hazlewood's absence, on Wednesday, broke into the top 10 of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) latest Men's Test Bowling Rankings.
The past week was brimming with Test cricket action, with three series reaching their conclusion: the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia, South Africa's clash against Pakistan and Zimbabwe's tussle with Afghanistan.
One of the standout performers in the latest ICC Men's Rankings is Scott Boland, the Player of the Match in the Sydney Test. Boland made a remarkable leap of 29 places to break into the top 10, sharing the ninth spot with India's spinner Ravindra Jadeja.
Boland's stellar performance in the Sydney Test, where he claimed a 10-wicket haul (4/31 and 6/45), proved too much for the Indian batters on a lively Sydney pitch. His efforts were instrumental in Australia's triumph, ending a decade-long wait to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Australia's skipper, Pat Cummins, also made gains in the rankings, climbing to No.2 after picking up five wickets in the final match. He is now closing in on Jasprit Bumrah, who remains at the top with a career-best rating of 908.
Bumrah had already made history ahead of the final Test by recording the highest-ever ICC Rankings rating for an Indian bowler at 907 points. He improved that tally by one point after taking two wickets in the first innings. However, a back spasm ruled him out of bowling in the second innings, restricting his role to just batting.
In a low-scoring fifth Test, only two half-centuries were recorded and no one was able to enter the three figure mark. Among the standout performances, Rishabh Pant's blistering 33-ball 61 in the second innings caught the eye. His explosive knock earned him a three-spot rise in the batting rankings, moving him to No. 9.
In contrast, the second Test between South Africa and Pakistan proved to be a haven for batters. Leading the charge was Player of the Match Ryan Rickelton, whose magnificent double century (259) propelled him 48 places up the batting rankings to No.55.
Captain Temba Bavuma extended his rich vein of form, scoring a vital century in the first innings to climb three spots to No.6, also achieving a career-best rating of 769. Meanwhile, Kyle Verreynne's impressive century saw him rise four places to secure the No.25 spot.
Pakistan endured a dismal first innings with the bat, managing only 194 in response to South Africa's massive 615. However, they showed resilience after being asked to follow on by the Proteas.
Babar Azam stood out with half-centuries in both innings, earning a five-spot climb to 12th in the batting rankings. Captain Shan Masood led from the front in the second innings with a valiant 145, which took him 12 places up to 45th.
In the bowling rankings, Kagiso Rabada's six-wicket haul in the match saw him climb one spot to No.3, now trailing only Cummins and Bumrah.
Meanwhile, in the all-rounder rankings, Marco Jansen made significant strides, moving up two places to secure the second spot. His impactful performance in the final Test against Pakistan, which included a brisk half-century and three wickets, brought him closer to leader Ravindra Jadeja.
Afghanistan's historic series win over Zimbabwe in the second Test saw several players make significant moves in the rankings. Centurions Rahmat Shah, who climbed 26 places to No.26, and debutant Ismat Alam, who entered the rankings at joint No.82, were the standout performers for the visitors in the batting charts.
For Zimbabwe, Craig Ervine (75 and 53 no.) rose 10 spots to joint No.37, while Sikandar Raza (61 and 38) re-entered the batting rankings at No.91 after playing his first Test since 2021.
Rashid Khan, also returning to Test cricket after a hiatus since 2021, was pivotal in Afghanistan's victory. He delivered a match-winning performance with the ball, recording career-best figures of 7/66 in the second innings, alongside a four-wicket haul in the first. With a match tally of 11 wickets, the leg-spinner re-entered the bowling rankings at No.54.
In white-ball cricket, the final T20I and the first ODI between New Zealand and Sri Lanka brought notable changes in the rankings.
Kusal Perera's explosive 46-ball 101 in the last T20I secured a consolation win for Sri Lanka and earned him a massive 26-spot jump to No.10 in the batting rankings.
From New Zealand's victory in the opening ODI, Matt Henry climbed to 12th among bowlers after his four-wicket haul, while Will Young's unbeaten 90 saw him rise to joint 13th in the batting rankings. (ANI)