Following their impressive performance in the historic Test victory against South Africa in Cape Town, Indian cricketers have seen a notable improvement in the recently released ICC Men's Test rankings. India's batting maestro Virat Kohli has jumped three positions up to be placed sixth place in the rankings, a rise attributed to his significant 46-run contribution in the challenging, low-scoring Cape Town match.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma has also experienced a significant boost in his ranking. Advancing four places, he has now broken into the top ten, currently ranked 10th. This elevation in the rankings is the result of his pivotal contributions of 39 and an unbeaten 16 in the same Test.
Aiden Markram of South Africa was outstanding at Newlands, scoring a century in the second innings in a total team score of just 176. His impressive 106 propelled him up nine places into the top 20 (with 667 points), marking him as the only South African player to make a substantial leap in the rankings.
India's fast bowling unit has been particularly outstanding, with Mohammed Siraj emerging as the most improved among the bowlers. His remarkable performance, which included an impressive haul of 6/15 in the first innings, has seen him climb 13 places to enter the Top 20 bowlers in the world, now ranked at No.17.
Jasprit Bumrah, a vital member of India's pace attack, has also enhanced his position in the ICC Test rankings. His significant contribution of six wickets in the second innings of the Cape Town Test has led him to ascend one spot, placing him as the 4th ranked bowler in Test cricket. Bumrah's key role in securing India's seven-wicket win has further solidified his status as a top wicket-taker for the team.
Despite claiming four wickets in the Test, Kagiso Rabada was surpassed by Australia's dynamic Pat Cummins, who now occupies the second spot in the rankings with 858 points. Cummins, the Australian captain, concluded a Player of the Series performance in the third Test against Pakistan, capturing six wickets in just 25 overs.
Josh Hazlewood, another Australian cricketer, also made significant progress in the rankings. His achievement of taking five wickets, four of which came in the second innings, allowed him to rise from the 11th spot to a tie for seventh place (761 points), sharing the position with James Anderson. This adjustment pushed Nathan Lyon down to the 11th position (742 points), placing him nine points ahead of Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi, who did not participate in the match.
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