Scott Boland Enters ICC Test Rankings Top Ten After Impressive 10-Wicket Performance at SCG

New Delhi, Jan 8 (NationPress) After an exceptional Player of the Match display, where he claimed ten wickets to lead Australia to a six-wicket victory in the Sydney Test, pace bowler Scott Boland has successfully entered the top-10 of the ICC Test bowling rankings.

According to the latest rankings update released on Wednesday, Boland made a significant leap of 29 places, positioning himself at joint ninth alongside India's left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja. His performance was crucial in helping Australia regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade.

In the Test bowlers’ rankings, Australia’s captain Pat Cummins has ascended to the second position after taking five wickets during the Sydney Test, while Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah continues to lead with a career-high rating of 908.

From the batting perspective, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has moved up three places to rank ninth. He scored a determined 40 in the first innings, followed by a spectacular 33-ball 61 in the second innings of the fifth Test, becoming one of the two half-centurions in the low-scoring match.

Meanwhile, in the Cape Town Test, Player of the Match Ryan Rickelton scored an impressive 259, resulting in a jump of 48 places to position 55 in the Test batting rankings. His captain, Temba Bavuma, made a significant impact with a century in the first innings, moving up three spots to rank sixth with a career-best rating of 769.

Another notable performance came from Kyle Verreynne, whose century propelled him four places up to rank 25. For Pakistan, Babar Azam showcased his talent with half-centuries in both innings, climbing five places to rank 12.

Captain Shan Masood also made headlines with his score of 145 in the second innings, jumping 12 places to reach the 45th position. In the bowling rankings, South Africa's Kagiso Rabada took six wickets, placing him third, just behind Cummins and Bumrah.

In the Test all-rounder rankings, Marco Jansen from South Africa ascended two places to second, trailing only Jadeja, after scoring a brisk half-century and claiming three wickets. Meanwhile, Afghanistan's historic Test series win over Zimbabwe saw several players make significant strides in the rankings.

Rahmat Shah climbed 26 places to rank 26, while debutant Ismat Alam entered the batters' list at joint position 82. Rashid Khan made a stunning return to Tests with career-best figures of 7/66 in the second innings, marking an impressive overall haul of 11 wickets, allowing him to re-enter the Test bowling rankings at number 54.

For Zimbabwe, Craig Ervine scored 75 and 53 not out, moving up 10 spots to joint position 37. Veteran all-rounder Sikandar Raza, who scored 61 and 38, re-entered the batting rankings at number 91 after his first Test appearance since 2021.

In the context of the white-ball series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, Kusal Perera dazzled with a 46-ball 101 in the final T20I, resulting in a remarkable 26-spot ascent to rank ten in the batting standings of the shortest format. New Zealand’s success in the ODI series opener saw Matt Henry climb to 12th place in the bowlers' rankings after a four-wicket performance, while top-order batter Will Young rose to joint 13th with an unbeaten 90.