Sri Lanka, Bangladesh players shuffle as Test best hold top ranking positions
With the Chittagong Test match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka only leading to minor movements in the ICC Test Player Rankings, the game's best in the long format will likely boast months atop the Batting, Bowling and All-Rounder lists.
While World Test Championship 2023-2025 action and other longer format cricket makes way for a smorgasboard of white-ball play, most notably the T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean, the second Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka did bring about a number of shuffles across the rankings lists.
Sri Lankan All-rounder Kamindu Mendis and compatriot Angelo Mathews made sizable jumps in the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings, helping their side to a thumping 192-run victory away from home, and completing a 2-0 series sweep in their ICC World Test Championship series.
Having also claimed ICC Men's Player of the Month for March thanks to his exploits, Mendis' knock of 92 not out sees him move 18 places to 46th position (533) in the batting list, while his three-wicket haul in the second innings also saw a 46-spot jump among bowlers. Mathews meanwhile has inched two places to 25th (639) after scores of 23 and 56, while teammate Kusal Mendis saw a minor jump (520) after scoring 93 in the first innings.
More on Kamindu Mendis' Player of the Month accolade
Despite defeat, Bangladesh opener Zakir Hasan's first innings half-century saw him climb three places in the Test batting rankings while Mehidy Hasan Miraz is up from 99th to 88th after a valiant 81 not out in the second innings. Mominul Haque has gained four slots and is in 46th position after scoring 83 runs in his two innings.
Dimuth Karunaratne's drop of one place to eighth was the only movement in the top 10. New Zealand's Kane Williamson remains the No.1 Test batter heading into the break (859), and holds a 35-point margin over England's Joe Root. Babar Azam of Pakistan and Daryl Mitchell (768) share the third podium spot.
The third-wicket run partnership for New Zealand kept them in the game
On the bowling side, Asitha Fernando was the most notable mover in Chittagong, up seven places to 27th position (576) after a four-wicket haul in the first innings. Vishwa Fernando made a two-step improvement (41st, 482) with three wickets in the match, with Lahiru Kumara also climbing a pair of spots (to 44th, 482) after finishing with six wickets across the two innings. For Bangladesh, debutant fast bowler Hasan Mahmud has entered the Test bowling rankings in 95th position after his half-dozen wicket collection in the same match.
ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings
Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya's three-spot drop to 11th (724) means one-spot moves up for James Anderson (8th, 739), Shaheen Afridi (9th, 733) and Kyle Jamieson (10th, 729). India's Ravichandran Ashwin (870) boasts the top spot on the Test Bowling Rankings, with compatriot Jasprit Bumrah and Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood in a tie for second (847).
The top 10 on the Test All-Rounder Rankings remains unchanged after the Chittagong Test match, with India's Ravindra Jadeja (444) well ahead of compatriot Ashwin (322) for the No.1 spot. Shakib Al Hasan remains in third (310) after taking four wickets and compiling 51 runs across his two innings in the Test match.
Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Ibrahim Zadran of Afghanistan during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023