England veteran rises to the top of the charts with another dominant display against Sri Lanka
New No.1 Test bowler revealed
James Anderson’s outstanding form in England’s series-clinching win over Sri Lanka in Durham has seen him crowned the new world No.1 ranked Test bowler.
Anderson’s figures of 3-36 and 5-58 at Chester-le-Street were enough to knock off countryman Stuart Broad to claim the No.1 position in the International Cricket Council rankings for the first time in his 115-Test career.
He had previously enjoyed three stints at No.2, in 2011, 2012 and most recently during last year's Ashes in the United Kingdom. Anderson is the fourth England bowler to top the chart since Ian Botham first achieved the feat in 1980.
Steve Harmison (2004) and Broad - who climbed to the number-one position in January following the Johannesburg Test against South Africa - are the other two to have held the coveted position.
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The 33-year-old had already soared back into the top three Test bowlers after his remarkable performance against Sri Lanka in Leeds, where he claimed his third 10-wicket haul in Tests, with figures of 5-16 and 5-29 as England romped to an innings-and-88-run victory.
That performance saw him climb to sixth on the all-time Test wicket-taking charts, while his second-innings five-wicket haul on Monday saw him pass 450 Test scalps.
Broad has dropped to No.3 in the charts – with India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin remaining in second spot – despite taking 4-40 and 1-71 in England’s nine-wicket win in Durham, while Chris Woakes climbed 16 places after taking 3-9 and 2-103.
Meanwhile, Australia skipper Steve Smith remains the world No.1 Test batsman, but England star Joe Root narrowed the margin to 47 points after his first-innings knock of 80 against the Sri Lankans.
Moeen Ali jumped 13 spots in the batting charts to 35th after his unbeaten 155, while Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Chandimal climbed two spots to a career-high 19 after his fighting century on day four.
ICC batting rankings
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