Ravichandran Ashwin stays at top as Ashes series triggers changes in ICC Test rankings

New Delhi : India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin maintained his spot at the top of the ICC Test bowling rankings even as the Ashes series triggered some changes.

England produced a strong fight during the second half of the series to tie the Ashes at 2-2 and a host of their best performers were rewarded on the updated ranking lists. Former skipper Joe Root rose one spot to second on the Test batter rankings with New Zealand veteran Kane Williamson the only player in front of him. Young batter Harry Brook jumped two places to ninth and a new career-high rating following his 363 runs in the series.

With India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin still maintaining his place at the top of the Test bowler rankings, retiring pacer Stuart Broad gained after he claimed 22 wickets during the Ashes.

Broad improved four spots to fourth overall, with England teammates Mark Wood (up two spots to 21st and a new career-high rating) and Chris Woakes (up eight places to 23rd) also rewarded for their strong finish to the Ashes.

Veteran pacer Mitchell Starc jumped two spots to equal 12th after his 23 wickets for the series, while inexperienced spinner Todd Murphy claimed a new career-high rating after moving up nine places to 57th.

Pakistan's unbeaten start to the new ICC World Test Championship cycle has seen a handful of their players make good ground on the rankings.

Abdullah Shafique (up 27 places to 21st), Mohammad Rizwan (up four spots to equal 29th) and Agha Salman (up 23 positions to 35th) shooting up the list for Test batters following the side's victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Their bowlers were also rewarded, with rising pacer Naseem Shah up seven spots to equal 37th and left-arm spinner Noman Ali improving 13 places to 42nd.

There wasn't much change to the ODI rankings this week, although experienced India spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved up eight places to 14th on the list for ODI bowlers following his impressive display with the ball against the West Indies.

Emerging top-order performer Ishan Kishan (up 15 places to equal 45th) moved up the corresponding rankings for ODI batters, after consecutive half-centuries.