Steyn drops a spot in Test bowling rankings

Cape Town - Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn has slipped one position in the ICC Test bowler rankings.

READ: India finish year as top-ranked Test side

The star South African fast bowler slipped from third to fourth in the rankings, which are headed by Indian spinning duo Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, and Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath.

This is the second time the top two spots in the ICC rankings for Test bowlers have been occupied by Indian players since 1974 where left-arm spinner Bishan Singh Bedi and leg-spinner Bhagwath Chandrasekhar took the coveted spots.

The next-best South African bowler is Vernon Philander, who sits just outside of the Top 10 in 11th, while 21-year-old Kagiso Rabada continues to move up the rankings as he lies 17th at the end of 2016.

In the Test batting rankings, South Africa’s Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers hold fifth and sixth places, respectively, while Australian skipper Steve Smith sits comfortably at No 1.

Steyn will miss the summer's cricket after being sidelined with an shoulder injury, which he sustained in recent the Australian Test series.

The 33-year-old will be out of action for six months in total, meaning he'll miss the upcoming Sri Lankan visit to South Africa and the tour to New Zealand which begins on February 17 with a T20 clash and ends with the March 25-29 third Test.

Top 10 Test bowlers:

1. Ravichandran Ashwin (IND) - 887

2. Ravindra Jadeja (IND) - 879

3. Rangana Herath (SL) - 867

4. Dale Steyn (RSA) - 844

5. James Anderson (ENG) - 810

6. Mitchell Starc (AUS) - 805

7. Josh Hazlewood (AUS) - 804

8. Stuart Broad (ENG) - 803

9. Neil Wagner (NZ) - 755

10. Yasir Shah (PAK) - 754

Top 10 Test batsman:

1. Steve Smith (AUS) - 918

2. Virat Kohli (IND) - 875

3. Joe Root (ENG) - 848

4. Kane Williamson (NZ) - 817

5. Hashim Amla (RSA) - 791

6. AB de Villiers (RSA) - 778

7. David Warner (AUS) - 749

8. Younis Khan (PAK) - 745

9. Cheteshwar Pujara (IND) - 739

10. Jonny Bairstow (ENG) - 731

Top 10 Test all-rounders:

1. Ravichandran Ashwin (IND) - 450

2. Shakib Al Hasan (BANG) - 384

3. Ravindra Jadeja (IND) - 292

4. Moeen Ali (ENG) - 292

5. Mitchell Starc (AUS) - 279

6. Vernon Philander (RSA) - 264

7. Ben Stokes (ENG) - 259

8. Stuart Broad (ENG) - 223

9. Rangana Herath (SL) - 209

10. Chris Woakes (ENG) - 205