ICC Test rankings: Kohli reaches career-high fourth position

Crosses 800-point mark for first time, becoming only the 11th Indian to do so

DUBAI: India captain Virat Kohli has shot up 10 slots to reach a career-high fourth position in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Player Rankings for Test Batsmen after producing a man of the match performance in the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam which India won by 246 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Kohli is currently top-ranked in T20Is and has also held the top position in ODIs, but has never moved above 10th place in Tests. However, his sublime knocks of 167 and 81 in Visakhapatnam have helped him move up further as he crossed the 800-point mark for the first time, becoming only the 11th India batsman to do so.

For his efforts in Visakhapatnam, Kohli has earned 97 points. The 28-year-old now trails second-ranked Joe Root of England by 22 points.

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s eight-wicket win over Pakistan in a low-scoring first Test in Christchurch did not result in much upward movement for batsmen.



New Zealand’s Bradley-John Watling has gained two places to take 36th place, Henry Nicholls has moved up three slots to reach 79th position and debutant opener Jeet Raval has entered the rankings in 60th position after knocks of 55 and 36 not out.

Another New Zealand player to make a fine entry was pace bowler Colin de Grandhomme, who was named player of the match for taking seven wickets in Christchurch.

Grandhomme, who represented Zimbabwe in the 2004 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh, has entered in 61st position in the ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers.



India fast bowler Mohammad Shami has gained five places to reach a career-high 21st rank and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja has moved up one position to sixth place.

For England, Stuart Broad (up one place) and Moeen Ali (up four places), have achieved fifth and 23rd positions, respectively. Press Release

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2016.

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