New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has overtaken Australia’s Steve Smith and India skipper Virat Kohli to top the ICC Test batting rankings.

It is the first time since 2015 that Williamson has held the top spot.

He has scored a career-best 251 and 129 in two Tests this month.

Kohli remains second overall, while Smith’s poor start to the Australian summer has seen him drop to third - the first time since November 2015 he has been outside the top two.

Smith, who had held the top spot since February, has scored just 10 runs across four innings against India, who levelled the series at 1-1 with victory in Melbourne.

Kohli hit 74 in the first Test defeat by Australia, which will be his only appearance of the four-Test series, having returned home for the birth of his first child.

Williamson, playing his first Test since February because of the coronavirus pandemic, struck a sublime 251 to lead his side to victory over West Indies in the first Test earlier this month.

He missed the second Test because of the birth of his first child before returning to lead New Zealand to a thrilling final-hour victory in the first Test against Pakistan that boosts their hopes of making the World Test Championship final.

England’s Ben Stokes remains top of the Test all-rounder rankings, but falls one place in the batting rankings to eighth, one spot above captain Joe Root.

Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins remains top of the Test bowling rankings, ahead of England’s Stuart Broad and New Zealand’s Neil Wagner.

Source: BBC
-Agencies