The Daily Morning Voice Online Desk: Evergreen India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin produced a player-of-the match performance during the second Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur and his efforts didn’t go unnoticed as the veteran made significant gains on the latest MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings. Bangladesh’s bevy of stars did not go away from the series empty-handed, with experienced batter Liton Das making the most notable improvement among Test batters and went past Indian batting stalwarts Virat Kohli in the list.
Liton scored a valuable 73 during the second innings of that match and moved up two places to 12th overall, the best rankings for any Bangladeshi batter, and within striking distance of a top-10 berth while Kohli slipped to 14th position. Spinner Taijul Islam was the other Bangladesh player to make a move, with the experienced spinner jumping two places to 28th after four India scalps during the first innings.
Ashwin performed well with bat and ball to help India clinch a narrow three-wicket triumph and a series sweep over their Asian rivals and was duly rewarded on the most recent set of Test rankings. The 36-year-old picked up six wickets for the match and scored a vital 42* as India successfully chased down 145 for victory on a tricky batting pitch and made eye-catching moves on all ranking categories as a result. Ashwin moved up one place on the latest Test bowling rankings to share fourth with teammate Jasprit Bumrah and closed in on compatriot Ravindra Jadeja, while consolidating second place on the list for all-rounders. The right-hander also moved up three places to 84th on the updated rankings for Test batters, proving once again his capabilities as a genuine all-rounder.