Dubai: Australia’s in-form batter Marnus Labuschagne added another feather to his crown by drawing level with India great Virat Kohli on the all-time list and bringing up a new career-high rating on the latest ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings.
The newly-crowned No.1 Test batter in the world, Labuschagne, who claimed the top ranking from England’s Joe Root earlier this month, moved further ahead at the top of the list for Test batters following an outstanding series against the West Indies.
The 28-year-old right-hander amassed a whopping 502 runs for the two-match series, with his magnificent knock of 163 during the first innings of the second Test in Adelaide helping Labuschagne join Kohli on a career-high rating of 937 points.
That brilliant performance sees Labuschagne now hold the equal 11th-best Test rating of all time and just three Australian players — Donald Bradman (961), Steve Smith (947) and Ricky Ponting (942) — have held better ratings, the ICC said in a report on its official website.
Labuschagne has four players just one rating point ahead of him on 938 rating points, with West Indies trio Gary Sobers, Clyde Walcott and Viv Richards and Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara.
Labuschagne isn’t the only Australian player achieving a career-high rating following the series against the West Indies — left-hander Travis Head also climbed up seven places on the Test batter rankings to sixth overall and a personal best of 774 rating points.
Head earns the rise on the back of his century against the West Indies in Adelaide and the 28-year-old could jump even higher during the upcoming Test series against South Africa.
England’s series triumph over Pakistan also saw a host of their players improve up the rankings this week, with young gun Harry Brook moving up 15 places on the Test batter rankings to 55th overall after his century in the second innings and Player of the Match performance in Multan.
Their pacers were also rewarded, with evergreen veteran James Anderson jumping one place to second overall on the Test bowler rankings and fellow quicks Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood also making ground on No.1 ranked Australian Pat Cummins.
Steve Smith has moved up two places to second with 875 points while Pakistan skipper Babar Azam had slipped one place to third with 871 points. Former England captain Joe Root dropped down a place to fourth with 848 points.
Rishabh Pant is the highest-ranked Indian, static at fifth with 801 points while Rohit Sharma retained his 10th position in the rankings with 746 points. Kohli is currently ranked 12th with 714 points. On Wednesday, he lost a chance of improving his position when could manage only 1 runs against Bangladesh in the first Test in Chattogram.
–IANS