India becomes No. 1 team in all formats, Ashwin rises to 2nd spot in ICC Test bowlers rankings
Dubai, Feb 15: India on Wednesday claimed the top spot in the latest ICC Test rankings to become the number one ranked side in all three formats of the game.
India's big innings and 132-run win over Australia in the first Test catapulted the 'Men in Blue' to the top spot, dislodging the Pat Cummins-led team.
Already the top T20 side, India had reached the number one spot in ODIs last month after beating New Zealand 3-0.
India (115) are four rating points ahead of Australia (111) in the Test rankings and a win in the second Test, starting Friday, will not only consolidate their top spot but also aid their push for entering second consecutive World Test Championship Final.
India need to win the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 or 3-0 to make the final.
Among individuals, India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin jumped to the second spot in the Men's Test Bowlers Rankings following his eight-wicket show against Australia in Nagpur.
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who made a successful comeback after almost five months due to a knee injury, has moved up to the 16th position, courtesy his player-of-the-match winning effort in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series-opener.
The spin duo haunted Australia in the first Test between by sharing 15 wickets between them as India won by an innings 132 runs inside three days.
Ashwin ensured India wrapped up a stunning victory before tea on the third day, as the veteran off-spinner took 5/37 in the second innings to go with 3/42 earlier in the match.
The 36-year-old is 21 rating points behind Australia captain Pat Cummins and is contention to return to the No.1 ranking for the first time since 2017.
While Ashwin stepped up in what turned out to be the last session of the Test, Jadeja did the damage on the first day with 5/47, including the prized wickets of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.
Jadeja then took 2/34 in the second Australian innings. Australia were bowled out for just 91.
Among other Indian bowlers, pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who too has been out of action since September last due to a lower back stress fracture, is placed fifth.
In the Test batting chart, India captain Rohit Sharma has been rewarded for his match-defining ton in Nagpur. He gained two spots to be at number eight.
Rohit came to the crease after Australia were all out for 177 in their first innings, then made the wicket look all-but tame with an assured 120 that set the tone for the rest of the match.
Wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant, who will be out of action for an indefinite period following his horrific car accident, is the other Indian batter in top-10. He is placed seventh.
In contrast Australian openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja have paid the price for being dismissed cheaply twice.
Warner has fallen six places to 20th after his scores of 1 and 10, while Khawaja has dropped two spots to 10th after only making 1 and 5 in the first Test.
Australian duo of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith occupy the top two position with Pakistan captain Babar Azam in the third spot.
India all-rounder Axar Patel has leaped six places to seventh in Test all-rounder rankings after coming to the crease at a tense 240 for 7. He hit a patient 84 for his highest score in the format.
The second Test between India and Australia will be played in New Delhi from Friday.
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Polling begins for 152 assembly seats in 1st phase of Bengal elections
Kolkata (PTI): Voting began on Thursday in 152 constituencies in the first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, amid unprecedented security arrangements and a high-stakes battle that could shape the direction of the entire contest.
Polling started at 7 am with voters queueing up outside booths in districts ranging from Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri in the north to Murshidabad, Nadia, Birbhum and Hooghly in the south.
The opening round covers more than half of the state's 294 assembly seats and is being seen as the BJP's best opportunity to make an early breakthrough and the ruling Trinamool Congress' most important test in its bid for a fourth consecutive term.
According to the Election Commission, over 3.60 crore electors are eligible to vote in this phase, including around 1.75 crore women and 465 third-gender voters.
A record 2,450 companies of central paramilitary forces, comprising nearly 2.5 lakh personnel, have been deployed across the state for the polls, with over 8,000 polling stations identified as highly sensitive.
The Election Commission has placed districts such as Malda, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur, Cooch Behar, Birbhum and Purba Bardhaman under special surveillance.
More than 2,193 quick response teams, surveillance units and flying squads have also been deployed to prevent violence and ensure free and fair polling.
The first phase assumes political significance because it includes all 54 seats in north Bengal, the region that powered the BJP's rise in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and helped it emerge as the principal challenger to the TMC in the 2021 assembly polls.
Of the 152 seats, the BJP had won 59 in 2021, while the TMC had secured 93.
For the saffron camp, retaining its dominance in north Bengal is crucial if it is to remain in contention in the statewide battle. For the TMC, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, preventing a BJP sweep in the north is equally important to establish momentum before the second round.
This phase is also being closely watched because it comes after the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which resulted in the deletion of around 91 lakh names from the state's voter list.
The controversy has sharply polarised the campaign, with the BJP alleging that the revision weeded out infiltrators and bogus voters, while the TMC has accused the Centre and the Election Commission of disenfranchising genuine electors, especially minorities and migrant workers.
Several high-profile candidates are in the fray in the first phase.
Key candidates in this phase include leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari (BJP, Nandigram), former Union minister Nisith Pramanik (BJP, Mathabhanga), state minister Udayan Guha (TMC, Dinhata), Goutam Deb (TMC, Siliguri), and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Congress, Baharampur).
The second phase of polling will be held on April 29. Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
