Rohit Sharma storms into the top 10 of ICC rankings for Test batsmen
Rohit Sharma jumped six spots to move to a career-best eighth place in the latest ICC rankings for Test batsmen. Cheteshwar Pujara, meanwhile, dropped two places after failing with the bat in the last two Tests against England.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson continues to lead the ICC Test batsmen chart with 919 points. Virat Kohli is the highest-ranked Indian, holding on to his fifth spot in the table.
Apart from India, only Australia has three representatives in the top 10.
Rohit Sharma has been a dominant force in ODI cricket for quite some time, and is finally proving his credentials in the longest format as well. The opener is currently India's highest run-scorer in the ongoing India-England series.
The 33-year-old's recent form has been all the more impressive as batsmen from both teams have struggled to score runs given the challenging conditions on offer. Rohit Sharma has amassed 296 runs in three Tests, at an average of 59.6.
Sharma scored a magnificent 161 in the second Chennai Test, looking head and shoulders above every batsman that played on the surface.
Rohit Sharma's opinion about the third Test pitch
The pitch for the third Test in Ahmedabad came under scrutiny after the match finished inside two days, with India winning by 10 wickets.
However, Rohit Sharma didn't blame the pitch and said batsmen from both teams needed to apply themselves better.
"The batsmen didn’t apply themselves. It is from our side also, not just them. As a batting unit, some of the shots we played were not up to the standards. The pitch was completely fine. It seems a very normal pitch to me." said the Indian opener.
Rohit Sharma managed scores of 66 and 25* in the third Test, making almost 47% of the runs India scored in the match.
A draw in the final Test would ensure India's spot in the ICC World Test Championship final. The final Test begins on March 4.