Top 5 Indians in current ICC men's Test bowling rankings ft. Ravichandran Ashwin
India's dominance in Test cricket at home has been unmatched over the past few years. Teams have found it extremely challenging and difficult to play Tests in India and get the better of them.
Carrying forward the brilliant performance in the longest format at home, India registered a stunning 280-run victory over Bangladesh in the first of the ongoing two-match series.
While India's batters put up some exceptional performances, the bowlers did not take a backseat either, doing equally well to contribute to the win. Bangladesh were bundled out for just 149 runs in their first innings, thanks to a four-wicket haul from Jasprit Bumrah, who led the charge. Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja picked up a couple of wickets each as well.
Ravichandran Ashwin surprisingly went wicketless in the first innings. However, he bounced back in the second innings, setting up India's fine victory. The 38-year-old spinner claimed six wickets in the second innings while his spin twin Jadeja bagged three.
The Indian bowlers continue to dominate in the ICC Test rankings with three players in the top 10. Ravichandran Ashwin is right at the top of the rankings, with Bumrah only behind him.
Here are the top five Indian players in the current ICC men's Test bowling rankings
#1 Ravichandran Ashwin
India's top spinner at the moment in the format, Ravichandran Ashwin sits at the number one position in the Test rankings with 871 points. He picked up six wickets in the first game against Bangladesh in what was a record-breaking performance.
Ashwin made his debut in the format in 2011 and has had a long and illustrious career. He has played 101 games in this format and picked up 522 wickets at an average of 23.70, bagging 25 four-fers and 37 five-wicket hauls.
Ashwin's consistent performance throughout the years and even to date justifies his position at the top of the ICC men's Test bowling rankings. Moreover, he is also second in the all-rounders' rankings in this format.
#2 Jasprit Bumrah
Pace sensation Jasprit Bumrah is only behind Ashwin, taking the second position in the ICC men's Test bowling rankings at present. India's lead pacer across formats, Bumrah grabbed five wickets in the series opener against Bangladesh, including four wickets in the first innings.
With 854 rating points, Bumrah is the top fast bowler in the rankings. The 30-year-old pacer made his Test debut in 2018 against South Africa. He has only risen through the ranks since then, going on to become one of the most consistent and feared pacers in the world.
In just 37 Tests, Bumrah has picked up 164 wickets with an impressive average of 20.51 and 10 five-wicket hauls. He is also in the top 10 of the ICC men's ODI bowling rankings.
#6 Ravindra Jadeja
India's premier all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has always stepped up when the team has needed him the most. He has risen by one place to the sixth position in the ICC men's Test bowling rankings.
While Jadeja shone with the bat against Bangladesh, he also contributed with the ball, finishing the game with a total of five wickets. Jadeja is the third Indian in the top 10 of this ranking list with 804 rating points.
Notably, Jadeja is an invaluable asset to the team with his all-round abilities, particularly in this format of the game. At the moment, he is ranked at the number one position in the ICC men's Test all-rounder rankings.
#16 Kuldeep Yadav
Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav has dropped by a position to number 16 in the ICC men's Test bowling rankings with 679 rating points. Kuldeep was not in the Playing XI for the first game against Bangladesh.
He will be hoping to get an opportunity in the second game and display his prowess with the ball. Kuldeep made his red-ball international debut back in 2017. However, his career in the longest format has been short.
He has played only 12 games in the longest format for India and has grabbed 53 wickets with four five-wicket hauls.
#24 Mohammed Siraj
Pacer Mohammed Siraj, 30, picked up a couple of wickets in the first innings against Bangladesh. He is currently 24th in the rankings with 585 rating points.
Making his debut in the format in 2020, Siraj has shown his ability to succeed in the longer format as well. He has played 28 matches for India so far in his career and has accounted for 76 wickets, which also includes five four-wicket hauls and three five-wicket hauls.
Siraj will be keen to take every opportunity and establish himself as India's go-to-pacer going forward.