Williamson pips Kohli and Smith to secure No.1 Test batsmen rankings

For Kane Williamson, it is a double delight as just after New Zealand secured the No.1 Test rankings, Williamson has secured the top position as well, leapfrogging Virat Kohli and Steve Smith.

Kane Williamson, returning from paternity leave, scored a fantastic 129 against Pakistan at the Bay Oval which helped him secure 13 points and propelled him to the top of the rankings with 890 points. With Virat Kohli on paternity leave and Steve Smith underfiring, the New Zealand skipper is now 11 points ahead of Kohli and 13 in front of Smith to strengthen his bid for a long haul at the top.

Second time No.1 for Williamson

It is not the first time for Williamson at the top as the Kiwi skipper had previously occupied the Numero Uno spot in Test cricket in December 2015. However, since then, it is the reins of Steve Smith or Kohli who have been at the summit. In 2020, Smith stayed 313 days at the top while Kohli had occupied it for 51 days.

Meanwhile, Williamson’s teammate Ross Taylor climbed three places to find himself at the 14th position. In the opposition ranks, Fawad Alam’s century helped him go 80 places up to reach 102nd position while Mohammad Rizwan is ranked 47.

A century in the Melbourne Boxing Day Test helped India’s stand-in Test captain Ajinkya Rahane up five places and is now sixth in the rankings. Ravichandran Ashwin takes the seventh spot while Jasprit Bumrah climbs to the ninth position after their impressive outing in Melbourne.