Ashwin regains bowling top spot

NEW DELHI: Ravichandran Ashwin regained his number one spot in the bowling world rankings Wednesday after his career-best performance in the final Test against New Zealand spurred India to a series whitewash.

The lanky spinner leapfrogged South African pacer Dale Steyn and England’s Jimmy Anderson at the top of the International Cricket Council rankings in an update released a day after he recorded match figures of 13-140.

The 30-year-old Ashwin was also named man of the series after India’s 321-run triumph over the Black Caps in the third and final match in Indore which cemented the hosts’ position as the number one Test team.

He took 27 wickets in the course of the three-match series, including figures of seven for 59 in New Zealand’s second innings in Indore.

Ashwin last topped the chart in July and is also the top-ranked allrounder thanks in part to his stellar performances with the bat during India’s recent tour of the West Indies, where he scored two centuries.

While Australian skipper Steve Smith remained at the top of the batting rankings, Ajinkya Rahane’s career best 188 in Indore saw the right-handed Indian batsman move up five places to sixth in the chart.