ICC Test rankings – Kane Williamson sets new high, Steve Smith takes the second spot

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has been in sublime form in the recent past.

The flamboyant batsman scored a magnum opus knock of 238 runs in the second Test match at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, which has helped him reach most career rating points for a New Zealand player.

Williamson now has 919 rating points and he has bettered his own record of 915 points which he achieved back in December 2018. Meanwhile, former New Zealand all-rounder Sir Richard Hadlee had reached 909 rating points in the bowling charts back in December 1985.

Williamson had scored 388 runs against Pakistan in two Test matches at a massive average of 129.33. On the other hand, Australia’s talisman batsman Steve Smith took the second spot in the batting rankings after scoring 131 and 81 in the Sydney Test match against India.

Marnus Labuschagne also consolidated his number four position with career-best 866 rating points after scores of 91 and 73 against India at the SCG.

On the other hand, the Kiwis southpaw batsman Henry Nicholls gained three places to reach the ninth position after scoring a fine knock of 157 runs in the second Test match against Pakistan. New Zealand’s lanky fast bowler Kyle Jamieson has jumped by seven places to reach a career-best ranking of 21 after taking 11-117 in the second Test match.

Meanwhile, after scoring 50 and 77 in the Sydney Test match, Cheteshwar Pujara has moved from 10th place to the eighth place. India’s wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant scored 36 and a blistering knock of 97, which has helped vault by 19 places to reach the 26th place in the batsmen rankings.

Pakistan’s batsman Azhar Ali’s knocks of 93 and 37 have helped him gain seven places to reach the 18th position whereas Mohammad Rizwan’s first-innings fifty has helped him jump 10 places to reach 37th position.