Sangakkara, who won the ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC Test Cricketer of the Year awards in Colombo in 2012, scored 221 and 21 in the Test, which earned him 31 ratings points that, in turn, helped him to dethrone AB de Villiers from the top pedestal. The South African had snatched the number-one spot from his team-mate Hashim Amla in October 2013 and spent a total stretch of 287 days and 33 Tests at the top.
Sangakkara had first surged to the top of the batting charts in December 2007 when he replaced Ricky Ponting, while he last claimed the top spot in November 2012 in Galle before Australia’s Michael Clarke dislodged him following his 230 against South Africa in the Adelaide Test.
Sangakkara has now spent a total of 81 Tests and 671 days as the top-ranked Test batsman. ICC Hall of Famer Garry Sobers holds the record for the most Tests spent as number-one with 189 while Viv Richards is second with 179.
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has continued to make gains on the rankings table. He has moved up one position to enter the top five for the first time in his career, following his contributions of 91 and 25 not out.
Mahela Jayawardena, playing his last Test series, has retained 14th position following his contributions of 59 and 26, but will seek to make his farewell Test a memorable one, which can potentially help him end higher on the rankings table.
In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers, man of the match Rangana Herath has been rewarded for his match figures of nine for 164, which included an impressive six for 48 in the second innings, with a jump of two places. He how sits just outside the top five in sixth position.
Dilruwan Perera, the 22-year-old off-spinner, has vaulted five places to 24th following his figures of five for 137 and two for 68.
England v India
Meanwhile, England’s win against India at Old Trafford by an innings and 54 runs on Saturday has seen its bowlers charge up the rankings table. England leads the five-Test series by 2-1 with the final Test to start at The Oval from Friday.
James Anderson has climbed two places to grab fifth spot following his three for 46 and two for 18, while man of the match Stuart Broad has propelled four places to ninth spot following his figures of six for 25 in India’s first innings.
Broad’s movement now means England has two bowlers inside the top 10.
Moeen Ali’s four for 39 in India’s second innings has allowed him to jump four places to a career-high 33rd position.
Amongst the batsmen, Joe Root and Ian Bell remain the two England batsmen inside the top 20. Root has moved up two places to claim a career-best 14th spot, a position he shares with Jayawardena, while Bell has also earned two places which has put him in 17th spot. Captain Alastair Cook is the next highest-ranked England batsman in 24th position.
Jos Buttler is the biggest mover in the latest rankings. The England wicketkeeper-batsman scored 70 and featured in a 134-run seventh wicket stand with Root (77). For this, he has earned eight places, which has put him just outside the top 50 in 55th position.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s 71 and 27 means that he is now in 32nd position following a rise of two places.
In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders, India’s Ravichandran Ashwin has displaced South Africa’s Vernon Philander as the number-one ranked all-rounder, while Broad has moved ahead of Australia’s Mitchell Johnson in fourth position.
ICC Test Player Rankings refer: www.relianceiccrankings.com(KH)
