The thirst to win more titles has kept Virat Kohli going forward every passing day. Yet another day where Virat Kohli has surpassed Steve Smith to earn the title of No.1 Test batsman in the ICC rankings.
Virat managed to cross smith by gaining just 5 more points to reach that level with a leading score of 928 points. The possible step to slash Smith by Virat was the 3-0 test series swing against South Africa trailed by century in the Pink-ball test against Bangladesh. The reason to zoom up was by striking an average of more than 50 in all three formats. But if compared at the stage in Test cricket, Smith is miles forward of Kohli with the Aussie averaging an overwhelming 63.7 equated to Kohli’s 54.9.
Virat had kept a strong grip of this position until Smith crossed him with a score of 774 runs from 4 Tests in the Ashes series against England. But Kohli rose up with a double hundred against South Africa and a hundred against Bangladesh, whereas then Smith could manage only scores of 4 and 36 in a 2-Test series against Pakistan which was presented by David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne.
Kohli would mark his absence in further tests of 2019 with 7202 runs and 27 hundred from 84 Tests. On the other hand, Steve Smith still holds the chance to gain back to the former position with 7013 runs and 26 hundred from 70 Tests in two tests against New Zealand. The third match of the series will be held on the occasion of New Year’s Eve.
Top 10 batsman in ICC Test rankings
- Virat Kohli – 928
- Steve Smith – 923
- Kane Williamson – 877
- Cheteshwar Pujara – 791
- David Warner – 764
- Ajinkya Rahane – 759
- Joe Root – 752
- Marnus Labuschagne 731
- Henry Nicholls – 726
- Dimuth Karunaratne – 723
David Warner elevated 12 spots to 5th on ICC Test rankings after his remarkable 335 not out in the Adelaide pink-ball Test. Marnus Labuschagne has also risen to the 8th spot as observed he eventually commenced the year at the 110th spot on the batting tables.
After elegant double hundred in Hamilton test against New Zealand, Captain Root took a flight to the top 10 after his series of struggles.
Babar Azam’s rise two spots above to the 13th can be held responsible to Australia as he hit 2nd Test hundred in The Gabba Test and followed it up with 97 in the Adelaide Day-night Test.
After Virat another Indian cricketer who shone in the ICC rankings is vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane fall a spot to 6th and David Warner soared himself to top 5. India now has in total of 3 batsmen in the top 10 with Cheteshwar Pujara at 4 and Rahane at the 6th spot apart from Virat Kohli at the peak.
