Virat Kohli maintains top spot in ICC rankings, Prithwi Shaw and Rishabh Pant make big gains

Pacer Umesh Yadav gained four slots after 10-wicket match haul while West Indies captain Jason Holder reached top 10 among bowlers for the first time.

NEW DELHI: Indian rookie pair Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant made substantial gains in the latest ICC Player rankings for Test batsmen following their splendid performance in home series against the West Indies. Indian skipper Virat Kohli retained his number one spot in the rankings.

Shaw, who led India to victory in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup this year in New Zealand, completed a memorable debut series as he finished the Hyderabad Test in 60th place, a gain of 13 slots after knocks of 70 and 33 not out. Shaw had entered the rankings in 73rd place after a century on debut.

Left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman Pant also continued his upward climb as his knock of 92 saw him gain 23 places to reach 62nd position. The Delhi batsman had started the series in 111th position and would be deriving satisfaction from the rankings gain after missing centuries in successive Tests, also dismissed for 92 in the opening match in Rajkot.

In other movements, Ajinkya Rahane has gained four places to reach 18th position after his knock of 80, while Umesh Yadav has gained four slots to reach 25th position after becoming only the third India fast bowler to claim a 10-wicket Test haul on home soil.

For the West Indies, captain Jason Holder has made significant gains in all departments. His haul of five 56 in India’s first innings has lifted him four places to a career-best ninth position among bowlers while his first innings half-century was good enough to help him gain three slots to reach 53rd position. Holder has also overtaken South Africa’s Vernon Philander to third position among all-rounders.

Other players from the visiting side to advance in the rankings include Roston Chase, whose first innings century helped gain 10 slots and reach 31st position, and Shai Hope, who has gained five places to reach 35th position.

The 2-0 series result sees top-ranked India gain one point while the West Indies have lost one point, without any change of positions in the ICC Test Team Rankings.