Joe Root gatecrashes top three of Test batting rankings and also into top five of all-rounder standings; England team-mate Zak Crawley into top 20 of batting charts for first time; Ravichandran Ashwin closes gap on Jasprit Bumrah at top of bowling standings ahead of series finale
Wednesday 28 February 2024 11:42, UK
England's Joe Root is back in the top three of the ICC Test batting rankings and into the top four of the all-rounder standings.
Root struck an unbeaten 122 in the fourth Test against India in Ranchi as he returned to form after scoring just 77 runs across his first six innings in the five-match series.
The former England captain has moved up two places to the third in the latest adjustment to the batting rankings, above New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell and Pakistan's Babar Azam.
Root is now behind only New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Australia's Steve Smith.
The 33-year-old, who has taken eight wickets in the first four Tests against India with his off-spin, only trails India's Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin and Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan in the all-rounder charts.
England captain Ben Stokes has dropped to seventh on that list having not bowled since July but is making quicker progress than he expected following knee surgery late last year.
Stokes said there was a chance he could bowl in the fourth Test but did not deploy himself during England's five-wicket defeat, a result that saw India take an unassailable 3-1 lead with a game to play.
Root and Stokes' England team-mate Zak Crawley is into the top of 20 of the batting rankings for the first time after scores of 42 and 60 in Ranchi.
India spinner Ashwin's five-wicket haul in the second innings of the fourth Test has seen him close the top on team-mate Jasprit Bumrah at the top of the bowling charts to 21 points, with Bumrah on 867 and Ashwin 846.
Bumrah was rested for the fourth Test as India secured a 17th successive series win at home but could return for the final game in Dharamshala from Thursday March 7.
Follow text commentary from day one of the fifth Test between India and England live on skysports.com and the Sky Sports App from 3.30am on Thursday March 7 (4am first ball).
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