In the end, Bangladesh lost the Chittagong Test by a big margin. In the first of the two-match series, Pakistan finally won by 6 wickets yesterday. However, from this test, Bangladesh may get a century of Liton Das.
Why only a century, Liton played well in two innings. He scored his first Test century in the first innings and a half-century in the next innings. Liton was rewarded for that in the latest ICC Test rankings released today. The 26-year-old right-handed batsman has improved 27 steps in one week. Mushfiqur, who did not score a century in the first innings, has also improved. He has advanced four steps.
Taizul Islam, who took six wickets in the first innings of bowling, is also three steps ahead in the rankings. The left-arm spinner is now 23rd in the rankings, the highest among Bangladesh bowlers in Tests.
Mushfiqur is still at the top of the rankings among the batsmen of Bangladesh. Mushfiqur was dismissed for 91 in the first innings of the Chittagong Test against Pakistan, four places ahead of him in the 19th position. Then there is Tamim Iqbal, but he is three steps behind, in 30th place. Then Liton, in 31st place. This is his career-best ranking.
Liton has been batting well in Tests throughout the year. He has played six Tests a year so far in the first Test of the series against Pakistan, scoring 543 runs at an average of 54.30. In all, his career average is 32.60.
After Mushfiqur-Tamim-Liton, there are three other Bangladeshi batsmen in the top 50. However, all three have backed down. Muminul Haque is 35th behind five steps, Shakib Al Hasan is two steps behind and Mahmudullah who officially announced his retirement from Tests a few days ago.
Another left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan is two steps behind Taizul among the bowlers of Bangladesh in the bowlers’ rankings. There was no change in his position (25th place). Mehedi Hasan is three steps behind at number 28. There is no other bowler in Bangladesh in the top 50.
Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sri Lankan batsman Dimuth Karunaratne will be the first to notice the improvement in the overall rankings after Bangladesh. Shaheen’s 6 wickets against Bangladesh has taken him three steps ahead in the top five of the rankings. Another Pakistan fast bowler Hasan Ali has also risen to 11th position, the best of his career.
New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson has been included in the top ten bowlers. Jamison, who took three wickets in two innings of the Kanpur Test against India, is six steps ahead at No. 9.
Along with Karunaratne, New Zealand’s Tom Latham has also entered the top ten in the batsmen’s rankings. Galle’s four-wicket haul of 148 and 63 in the two Tests against the West Indies lifted Karunaratne four places to No. 6, one step below the Sri Lankan batsman’s career-best position.
And Latham’s two fifties (95 and 52) in both innings of the Test against India have lifted him to No. 9, five steps ahead of the previous rankings.
