Kane Williamson overtakes Steve Smith, Virat Kohli to become no.1 Test batsman in latest ICC rankings

Kane Williamson made 129 and 21 against Pakistan in the first Test.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has ascended to the no.1 spot in the ICC Test rankings for batsmen. He previously occupied the spot for a brief time period in 2015, but since then either India’s Virat Kohli or Australia’s Steve Smith have been the no.1 Test batsman.

This year too, Smith was at the top for 313 days and Kohli for 51, before Williamson surged ahead of his two contemporaries from the ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2008.

Williamson has gained 13 rating points for his effort of 129 and 21 to go 11 points clear of Kohli and 13 ahead of Smith. Kohli is on paternity leave for the last three Tests of India's ongoing series against Australia while Smith's MCG outing could only get him scores of zero and eight.

NZ v PAK 2020-21: "We want to play the World Test Championship Final", says NZ skipper Kane Williamson

Apart from Williamson, stand-in Indian captain Ajinkya Rahane gained big after his century in the MCG Test win, with scores of 112 and 27*. Rahane has advanced five places to reach the sixth position, just one below his career-best of fifth attained in October 2019.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (up to two places to seventh) and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah (up to one place to ninth) have made notable gains within the top 10.

Also India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also made huge gains, moving up 11 spots to a career best-equaling 36th place among batsmen after a handy knock of 57 in his only innings in Melbourne and gaining four places to reach 14th place among bowlers after finishing with three wickets in the match.

He remains third among all-rounders but has reduced the gap with Jason Holder to seven points.

India debutants Shubman Gill and Mohammad Siraj have made notable entries in 76th and 77th positions in the list for batsmen and bowlers respectively.

Australia pacer Mitchell Starc reaches a career best-equaling fifth position, with four wickets at MCG.