· Cummins becomes first Australia bowler since McGrath to reach top spot in Test rankings
· Du Plessis in top 10 for the first time, Vishwa Fernando, Rajitha others to move up
Sri Lanka batsman Kusal Perera has advanced an astonishing 58 places in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Player Rankings after a memorable performance helped his team score a thrilling one-wicket victory over South Africa in Durban.
Perera’s gain is one of many from the first of two Tests between the two teams, even as Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins has overtaken Kagiso Rabada to take the top spot among bowlers without taking the field as the South Africa fast bowler finished with only three wickets in the match. Cummins is the first from his country since Glenn McGrath in February 2006 to top the Test bowlers’ list.
The left-handed Perera has reached a career-best 40th position after 15 Tests, scoring 51 and an unbeaten 153 that guided his team to an improbable win, partnering in the highest ever unbroken 10thwicket stand in a winning cause in first-class cricket. He added 78 runs for the last wicket with Vishwa Fernando (six not out) to beat an 83-year record set by the Australians against Madras in February 1936.
Left-arm fast bowler Vishwa Fernando has moved up 26 places to a career-best 49th place after finishing with eight wickets in the match while Kasun Rajitha (up 10 places to 59th) and Lasith Embuldeniya (at 68thplace after his debut match) are the notable gainers in the list for bowlers.
For South Africa, captain Faf du Plessis is among the top 10 batsmen for the first time in his career after scores of 35 and 90 helped him gain seven slots to reach join-10th position along with his counterpart Dimuth Karunaratne.
Quinton de Kock is also in that list, gaining four slots to reach eighth position and closing in on his career-best sixth position, which he had occupied two years ago. Fast bowler Duanne Olivier has continued his upward trend to reach a career-best 22nd position after advancing three slots.
MRF Tyres ICC Test Player Rankings (as of 17 February, after the Durban Test)
Batsmen (top 10)
Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Avge Highest Rating
1 ( – ) Virat Kohli India 922 53.76 937 v Eng at Southampton 2018
2 ( – ) K. Williamson NZ 897 51.44 915 v SL at Wellington 2018
3 ( – ) C. Pujara India 881 51.18 888 v SL at Nagpur 2017
4 ( – ) Steve Smith Aus 857 61.37 947 v SA at Durban 2018
5= ( – ) Joe Root Eng 763 49.51 917 v Aus at Trent Bridge 2015
( – ) Henry Nicholls NZ 763*! 43.54 763 v SL at Christchurch 2018
7 ( – ) David Warner Aus 756 48.20 880 v NZ at Perth 2015
8= (+4) Q. de Kock SA 710 39.16 802 v NZ at Hamilton 2017
( – ) A. Markram SA 710* 44.13 759 v Aus at Johannesburg 2018
10= (+1) D. Karunaratne SL 688 36.37 754 v SA at Colombo (SSC) 2018
(+7) Faf du Plessis SA 688 42.56 734 v India at Centurion 2018
Other selected rankings
Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Avge Highest Rating
27 (+1) D. Chandimal SL 609 41.86 755 v Win at St Lucia 2018
40 (+58) Kusal Perera SL 556*! 35.60 556 v SA at Durban 2019
57 (+6) D. de Silva SL 501 32.80 612 v Zim at Harare 2016
100 (NEW) O. Fernando SL 326*! 28.00 326 v SA at Durban 2019
Bowlers (top 10)
Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Avge Highest Rating
1 (+1) P. Cummins Aus 878*! 22.02 878 v SL at Canberra 2019
2 (+1) J. Anderson Eng 862 26.93 903 v India at Lord’s 2018
3 (-2) K. Rabada SA 849 21.88 902 v Aus at Port Elizabeth 2018
4 ( – ) V. Philander SA 821 21.64 912 v India at Johannesburg 2013
5 ( – ) R. Jadeja India 794 23.68 899 v Aus at Ranchi 2017
6 ( – ) Trent Boult NZ 771 27.90 825 v Eng at Lord’s 2015
7= ( – ) Jason Holder Win 770* 27.69 778 v Eng at Antigua 2019
( – ) M. Abbas Pak 770* 18.86 838 v NZ at Abu Dhabi 2018
9 ( – ) Tim Southee NZ 767 29.93 799 v Win at Jamaica 2014
10 ( – ) R. Ashwin India 763 25.43 904 v Eng at Mumbai 2016
Other selected rankings
Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Avge Highest Rating
22= (+3) D. Olivier SA 666*! 18.56 666 v SL at Durban 2019
49 (+26) V. Fernando SL 361*! 27.00 361 v SA at Durban 2019
59= (+10) Kasun Rajitha SL 259* 32.94 374 v Win at Barbados 2018
68 (NEW) L. Embuldeniya SL 217*! 19.50 217 v SA at Durban 2019
All-rounders (top five)
Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Highest Rating
1 ( – ) Jason Holder Win 439/* 448 v Eng at Antigua 2019
2 ( – ) S. Al Hasan Ban 415 489 v Aus at Mirpur 2017
3 ( – ) R. Jadeja India 387 438 v SL at Colombo (SSC) 2017
4 ( – ) Ben Stokes Eng 357 395 v Win at Lord’s 2017
5 ( – ) V. Philander SA 332 377 v SL at Galle 2018
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