Following a match-haul of 10 for 63, against Bangladesh in the Bloemfontein Test, South African pacer Kagiso Rabada climbed two places to move up to a career-best 3rd position in the latest Test rankings issued by ICC on Tuesday.
Rabada’s 10-wicket haul helped his side to an innings and 254 runs victory and his performance saw him overtake spinners Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka) and Ravichandran Ashwin (India).
At 876 points he is only eight points behind second-placed India spinner Ravindra Jadeja and 20 behind top-ranked James Anderson of England.
The latest rankings take into account the second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Dubai, which Sri Lanka won by 68 runs on Tuesday to clinch the series 2-0.
Rabada was not the only South Africa pace bowler to gain in the latest rankings. His new-ball partner Duanne Olivier (up nine places to a career-best 48th position), Wayne Parnell (up 10 places to 60th) and Andile Phehlukwayo (up 27 places to 93rd) also climbed a rung.
Captain Faf du Plessis and Aiden Markram, century-makers at Bloemfontein, are among the batsmen who have also moved up the list.
Du Plessis's 135 not out has seen him move up two places to 14th position while Markram has gained 43 slots to reach a career-best 61st position after his knock of 143.
India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara remains in fourth spot and captain Virat Kohli in sixth position. Though India have not played a Test recently, Lokesh Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane gained a place each to take the eighth and ninth spots in the rankings.
Pakistan pacer Wahab Riaz’s five wickets in the match have seen him overtake India’s Umesh Yadav to take 24th position while Haris Sohail has gained 35 places to reach 83rd rank.
