Kane Williamson overtakes Smith and Kohli to take number one batting ranking

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has moved to the top of the ICC Test batting rankings after overtaking Australia’s Steve Smith and Virat Kohli in the standings.

It’s the first time the Kiwi has topped the standings since 2015 and it comes off the back of hitting a century in his country’s 101 run win over Pakistan in the Christmas period which saw them take a 1-0 lead in the two match series.

The 30-year-old also hit a career best 251 against the West Indies earlier this month to further his points ranking in the updated standings.

India’s captain Kohli stays in second, above Smith who has really struggled in the first two matches of the Australian summer against India, scoring just ten runs over the four innings he has played so far with the series locked at 1-1 going into the third meeting between the two nations, starting on January 6th.

Kohli missed the second Test Match due to the birth of his first child but did hit 74 in the first match in which India were rolled over for just 36.

Williamson and New Zealand have been one of the teams most hit by the current Covid-19 pandemic, playing their first matches since February in the recent outings against the West Indies and Pakistan.

England’s Ben Stokes (8th) and Joe Root (9th) have both made it into the top ten, alongside Marnus Labuschagne, Babar Azam, Ajinkya Rahane, David Warner and Cheteshwar Pujara.

Stokes also remains top of the all-rounder rankings, remaining ahead of West Indies captain Jason Holder while Stokes’ teammate Chris Woakes has kept his place in seventh, just in front of Colin De Grandhomme.

As for the bowlers, Pat Cummins remains at the top ahead of England fast bowler Stuart Broad and New Zealand seamier Neil Wagner. James Anderson (10th) has also kept his place just inside the top ten ahead of the turn of the year.

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