Virat Kohli Inches Closer To Steve Smith In The ICC Test Rankings

By CricShots - Nov 26, 2019 3:19 pm

Marnus Labuschagne and BJ Watling have achieved career-best positions in the latest ICC Test batsmen Rankings with epic knocks that also won them the Player of the Match awards this week. Labuschagne’s 185-run known helped Australia to defeat Pakistan by an innings and five runs in Brisbane has taken him from 35th to 14th place, while Watling’s 205 in Tauranga not only helped New Zealand defeated England by an innings and 65 runs but has also lifted him 12 places to 12th position.

Labuschagne was standing at the 95th position when summoned as a concussion substitute for Steve Smith in the Lord’s Ashes Test in August and has made significant progress since then, while Watling too has much to celebrate, as he is now the top-ranked wicketkeeper-batsman, having overtaken South Africa’s, Quinton de Kock.

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Apart from Labuschagne, the other Australia batsmen to advance in the latest rankings update include opener David Warner jumped to 17th place, Joe Burns jumped to 62nd position, and Matthew Wade (up to four places to 70th) while fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has moved from 13th to joint-ninth in the bowlers’ list.

Their opposition Pakistan did not have much to cheer about with Shan Masood (up seven places to 57th) among batsmen and Haris Sohail (up 12 places to 81st) among bowlers moving up in the latest update that also takes into account performances in the day-night Kolkata Test in which India defeated Bangladesh by an innings and 46 runs.

The Indian skipper, captain Virat Kohli’s commanding century in Kolkata has helped him bridge the gap with top-ranked Steve Smith from 25 to three points while opener Mayank Agarwal has reached the top 10 for the first time.

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India fast bowlers Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav are at career-high points tallies after taking 5-fers against Bangladesh. Ishant has 716 points but is in 17th place, way behind his career-best 7th position achieved in July 2011. Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim has gained four slots to reach 26th position after scoring a fighting 74 in the second innings of the Kolkata Test while Liton Das is up to eight slots to 78th position.

Here are the latest ICC Test rankings: