INTERNATIONAL NEWS - England fast bowler Stuart Broad has achieved the status of the No 1 ranked Test bowler in the world after producing a Man of the Match performance in the Johannesburg Test, which has also confirmed that India will replace South Africa as the top-ranked Test side when the ICC Test Championship table is updated at the end of the Centurion Test.

Broad had entered the Johannesburg Test in third position on 853 points but, after figures of 2/82 and 6/17, the 29-year-old earned 27 points to leapfrog Ravichandran Ashwin of India and South Africa’s Dale Steyn into the top position. Broad now sits on 880 points and leads the India spinner by nine points.

Broad is the first England bowler since Steve Harmison to top the ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers. Harmison had reached the top in 2004 and stayed there for 120 days. Before Harmison, Ian Botham had achieved the No 1 ranking in 1980.

Broad has gained four places after earning 40 points since arriving in South Africa as he has picked up 15 wickets in three Tests to date.

Broad’s team-mate Ben Stokes has also improved his rankings. Stokes took 3/53 and 2/24, and scored 58 in his only innings in Johannesburg. As such, he has gained 10 places in the bowling chart and is now in 33rd spot, having moved up two places to 36th in the batting table.

He has gained three places in the all-rounders’ category to claim sixth position – just three points behind India’s Ravindra Jadeja.

The only good news for South Africa is the movement of Kagiso Rabada. The fast bowler took 5/78 in the first innings, which means he has vaulted 28 places to 74th in the latest rankings.

In the ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen, England’s Joe Root has reclaimed second position after scoring his ninth century in his 38th Test. Root’s 110 helped England to take a slender 10-run lead for which he has been rewarded with a jump of two places.

Root had last achieved second position after the first Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2015, before reclaiming the top spot after the second Test in Dubai. Root had first topped the batting table after the Trent Bridge Test against Australia in August 2015.

Root now trails No 1 ranked Steve Smith by eight points and leads third-ranked Kane Williamson of New Zealand by two points.

South Africa’s Dean Elgar and Jonny Bairstow have also made gains in the latest rankings. Both the batsmen have moved up two places each with Elgar now in 26th position and Bairstow joining Faf du Plessis in 30th spot.

Meanwhile, when the ICC Test Championship table is updated following the conclusion of the Centurion Test, to be played from January 22-26, India will replace South Africa as the No 1 ranked Test side.

This has been confirmed after England romped to a seven-wicket victory in the Johannesburg Test, which has given it a 2-0 lead in the four-Test series.

The best Test ranking South Africa can now achieve is second position, which will only be possible if theywins the Centurion Test. If the Test ends in a draw, then South Africa will drop to third position behind India and Australia, while a 3-0 series loss will result in them finishing in fourth place behind India, Australia and Pakistan.

In contrast, England will finish above New Zealand in fifth place irrespective of how the Centurion Test pans out.

This situation will be of tremendous interest to Australia, who now have an excellent chance to finish as the No 1 ranked Test side at the April 1 cut-off date.