Proteas fast bowler Morne Morkel and opening batsman Dean Elgar have both broken into their respective Top 10 categories in the ICC Test rankings after the third Test against Australia in Cape Town.
The third Test match between South Africa and Australia was in the headlines for all the wrong things, and the on-field action of the match was completely forgotten. Not the just the third match a lot of off-field controversies has marred the ongoing series.
The host team currently lead the tourists 2-1 in the series, and the Kangaroos are having a tough time in the Rainbow nation.
The good times for the South African players seem to continue. Morkel picked up his best match figures of 9/110 and received the man-of-the-match award, to help the home team defeat Australia by 322 runs. Morkel moved up five spots in the rankings and also achieved his best ratings.
Morkel’s best Test figures couldn’t have come at a better time as the lanky fast bowler announced that this would be his last series for South Africa before the start of the series. Morkel also became the fifth South African bowler to pick up 300 Test wickets.
On the other hand, a centurion in the first innings of the third Test Dean Elgar has also climbed up to the eighth position in the rankings.
Australia pace bowler Pat Cummins who took seven wickets in Cape Town for the first time made it to the top 20 as reached the 18th position.
ICC Test rankings:
Batsmen
- Steve Smith (Aus) – 938
- Virat Kohli (Ind) – 912
- Kane Williamson (NZ) – 878
- Joe Root (Eng) – 870
- David Warner (Aus) – 828
- AB de Villiers (SA) – 819
- C. Pujara (Ind) – 810
- Dean Elgar (SA) – 772
- Azhar Ali (Pak) – 755
- Hashim Amla (SA) – 745
Bowlers
- Kagiso Rabada (SA) – 899
- James Anderson (Eng) – 887
- Ravindra Jadeja (Ind) – 844
- R. Ashwin (Ind) – 803
- Josh Hazlewood (Aus) – 802
- Morne Morkel (SA) – 798
- Trent Boult (NZ) – 792
- Neil Wagner (NZ) – 781
- Rangana Herath (SL) – 777
- Vernon Philander (SA) – 777
All-rounders
- Shakib Al Hasan (Ban) – 421
- Ravindra Jadeja (Ind) – 391
- R. Ashwin (Ind) – 368
- Ben Stokes (Eng) – 349
- Vernon Philander (SA) – 33
Here’s the news feed:
SA vs AUS 2018: Emotional Faf du Plessis Bids Adieu to his ‘Able Sidekick’ Morne Morkel
Morne Morkel credits his hard work the reason behind the success