Sri Lanka star Kumar Sangakarra has returned to the top of the Reliance ICC Test Players Rankings following the completion of the second Test in Wellington, which host New Zealand won by 193 runs.
Despite 2-0 series defeat, Sangakarra’s knocks of 203 and five have seen him replace South Africa’s AB de Villiers at the top of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen, where he is one point clear on 909 points.
Kane Williamson of New Zealand has jumped seven places to a career-best ranking of seventh in the batting rankings following his scores of 69 and 242 not out. In achieving his highest Test score to date, Williamson also passed the 3,000 runs mark, reaching 3,034 runs in 39 Tests.
Following South Africa’s eight-wicket victory over West Indies in Cape Town, Marlon Samuels has vaulted seven places to 31st in the batting rankings after knocks of 43 and 74. Dean Elgar has also moved up two places to a career high 48th, while other upwards movers following this Test, which helped the Proteas secure a 2-0 series win, include Denesh Ramdin (up three places to 59th) and Leon Johnson, who is the highest climber, moving up 25 places to a career-high 70th after scores of 54 and 44.
Meanwhile, following Saturday’s drawn Test in Sydney that ensured a 2-0 series victory over India, Australia captain Steven Smith has leap-frogged Angelo Mathews into a career-high fourth place in the batting table after scores of 117 and 71. For India, Virat Kohli moved up three places to 12th after scores of 147 and 46, while Australia opener Chris Rogers has moved up six places into 18th position after scores of 95 and 56.
In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers, New Zealand’s Trent Boult returned match figures of four for 130 runs to help his side to victory over Sri Lanka and improve his ranking by one place to sixth on 795 points, nine adrift of Australia’s Mitchell Johnson.
India’s Mohammed Shami has risen seven places to a career-high 31st place after taking match figures of six for 145 runs, while Australia’s Mitchell Starc has moved up nine places to 33rd after returning five wickets for 142 runs. Amongst the other bowlers from the Sydney Test are Australia duo Shane Watson and Josh Hazlewood, up to 38th and a career-high 46th respectively.
New Zealand’s Doug Bracewell has moved up nine places to 39th, with Sri Lanka’s Seranga Lakmal moving up two places to a career-high 48th. South Africa’s Dale Steyn still heads the bowling rankings and holds a commanding 79 points lead over second-placed Ryan Harris.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Johnson has also dropped a spot and thus swaps places with England’s Stuart Broad in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test All-rounders, with the Australian left-arm speedster now lying in fifth spot. Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan remains the number-one ranked all-rounder.
Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings (as on 11 January, after Australia-India, New Zealand-Sri Lanka and South Africa-West Indies Test series)
1. South Africa 124
2. Australia 119
3. England 104
4. Pakistan 103
5. New Zealand 99
6. Sri Lanka 96
7. India 93
8. West Indies 76
9. Bangladesh 32
10. Zimbabwe 18
(Developed by David Kendix)
Reliance ICC Test Player Rankings (as on 11 January, after Australia-India, New Zealand-Sri Lanka and South Africa-West Indies Test series)
Batsmen
Rank (+/-) Player Team Points `Ave HS Rating
1 (+1) K. Sangakkara SL 909 58.66 938 v Eng at Kandy 2007
2 (-1) AB de Villiers SA 908 52.09 935 v Aus at Port Elizabeth 2014
3 ( - ) Hashim Amla SA 891 52.78 907 v Pak at Abu Dhabi 2013
4 (+1) Steven Smith Aus 873! 52.36 873 v Ind at Sydney 2015
5 (-1) Angelo Mathews SL 841 51.50 877 v NZ at Christchurch 2014
6 (+7) Kane Williamson NZ 839! 45.96 839 v SL at Wellington 2015
7 (-1) S.Chanderpaul WI 834 52.33 901 v NZ at Napier 2008
8 (-1) Younus Khan Pak 818 53.37 880 v SL at Lahore 2009
9 (-1) David Warner Aus 805 48.20 880 v Ind at Adelaide 2014
10 (-1) Joe Root Eng 789! 50.94 789 v Ind at The Oval 2014
