The unilateral nature of the Test series against South Africa has given a number of Indian players a lift in the ICC’s Test rankings and damaged the Proteas.
India have already celebrated the promotion to No 2 in the team rankings, just four points behind South Africa, but now they can herald the rise of Ajinkya Rahane to the leading Indian batsman, thanks to his two centuries in the fourth Test, which gave the hosts a 3-0 series victory.
The 27-year-old had entered the Test at 26 in the rankings, but by the time South Africa were dismissed last on the fifth day, he had risen to career-high 12th place.
He overtook Virat Kohli (up by two places to 14), Murali Vijay (down by four places to 16) and Cheteshwar Pujara (down by two places to 17), giving India four batsmen inside the top 20.
Hashim Amla, in consequence, falls one place to No 8.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s 56 in his only innings, helped him move up five places to 46th, but taken with his incredible bowling performance, allowed him to move ahead of Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan as the new No 1 Test all-rounder. On the bowling front alone, he is creeping up Dale Steyn, reducing the gap to four points.
The only good news for South Africa is the movement of fast bowler Kyle Abbott, whose five for 40 and one for 47, has allowed him to gain 24 places. He now shares a career-best 43rd position with Sri Lanka’s Shaminda Eranga. Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel both slipped, by two and one respectively.
ICC Test Championship (as on 8 December)
1, South Africa 114; 2, India 110; 3, Australia 109; 4, Pakistan 106; 5, England 99; 6, New Zealand 95; 7, Sri Lanka 93; 8, West Indies 76; 9, Bangladesh 47; 10, Zimbabwe 5
ICC Test Player Rankings (as on 8 December)
Batsmen
| Rank | Player | Points | Average |
| 1 (-) | Steve Smith (Aus) | 886 | 55.34 |
| 1 (-) | Joe Root (Eng) | 886 | 54.90 |
| 3 (-) | AB de Villiers (SA) | 881 | 51.39 |
| 4 (-) | Kane Williamson (NZ) | 876 | 48.36 |
| 5 (-) | David Warner (Aus) | 862 | 50.48 |
| 6 (-) | Angelo Matthews (SL) | 851 | 51.43 |
| 7 (+1) | Younis Khan (Pak) | 826 | 53.94 |
| 8 (-1) | Hashim Amla (SA) | 810 | 50.64 |
| 9 (-) | Alastair Cook (Eng) | 803 | 47.47 |
| 10 (-) | Ross Taylor (NZ) | 787 | 46.61 |
| Bowlers | |||
| 1 (-) | Dale Steyn (SA) | 875 | 22.56 |
| 2 (-) | Ravi Ashwin (Ind) | 871 | 25.39 |
| 3 (-) | James Anderson (Eng) | 846 | 28.29 |
| 3 (-) | Yasir Shah (Pak) | 846 | 24.17 |
| 5 (-) | Stuart Broad (Eng) | 840 | 29.12 |
| 6 (-) | Trent Boult (NZ ) | 809 | 28.12 |
| 7 (+4) | Ravindra Jadeja (Ind) | 789 | 23.76 |
| 8 (-) | Rangana Herath (SL) | 751 | 29.49 |
| 9 (-2) | Vernon Philander (SA) | 746 | 22.08 |
| 10 (-1) | Morne Morkel (SA) | 726 | 29.30 |
| All-Rounders | |||
| 1 (+1) | Ravi Ashwin (Ind) | 406 | |
| 2 (-1) | Shakib Al Hasan (Ban) | 384 | |
| 3 (-) | Stuart Broad (Eng) | 315 | |
| 4 (-) | Vernon Philander (SA) | 298 | |
| 5 (-) | Mitchell Starc (Aus) | 260 |
