India vs Sri Lanka: Ravindra Jadeja has great opportunity to reclaim top all-rounder's spot in series

Charismatic Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will be relishing the opportunity to clash with Sri Lankans in the upcoming three-match Test series.The left-arm spinner will have an opportunity to reclaim the top bowling and all-rounder spot in the ICC rankings when as the series begins in Kolkata on Thursday.

The 28-year-old, who has played 32 Tests to date in which he has taken 155 wickets and scored 1136 runs, currently sits second in both the categories.

In the bowlers' table, he is 12 points behind England’s James Anderson, while in the all-rounders’ list, he is eight points behind Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh.

If Jadeja puts up a strong show with both bat and ball, then he will regain the top slots he last held following his side’s second Test against Sri Lanka in August.

While that was the first time he had surged to number-one in the all-rounders’ list, he was the top-ranked bowler until Anderson leapfrogged him on September 9 following the Lord’s Test against the Windies. Apart from Jadeja, India’s sixth-ranked Virat Kohli will also be eyeing a return to the top-five among batsmen as he presently trails Australia’s David Warner by just one point.

Other India batsmen inside the top-10 include Lokesh Rahul (eighth) and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane (ninth), while batsmen outside the top-20 are Shikhar Dhawan (30th), Murali Vijay (36th) and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha (47th).

The other India bowlers to feature prominently in the rankings are Ravichandran Ashwin (fourth), Mohammed Shami (19th), Umesh Yadav (27th), Ishant Sharma (29th) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (37th).

Sri Lanka have two batsmen in Dimuth Karunaratne (17th) and captain Dinesh Chandimal (20th) inside the top-20, while batsmen aiming for upward movements are Angelo Mathews (24th), Niroshan Dickwella (40th), Dilruwan Perera (78th) and Lahiru Thirimanne (113th).

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath is Sri Lanka’s highest-ranked bowler in fifth place. He is followed by Dilruwan Perera (25th), Suranga Lakmal (36th), Lakshan Sandakan (69th), Angelo Mathews (81st) and Lahiru Gamage (108th). 

With PTI inputs