Following a poor run of form by Steve Smith in the series against Pakistan, Virat Kohli has climbed back to the No.1 position in the ICC Test rankings. Kohli's return to the top was bolstered by a standout century in the first Day-night Test against Bangladesh, held at Eden Gardens.
Virat Kohli reclaimed his No.1 place in the ICC Test ranking after Austrian batsman Steve Smith scored low runs in the match against Pakistan. Kohli got an excellent century against Bangladesh in the 1st Day-night Test against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens stadium.
For a long stretch, Virat Kohli was the undisputed leader of the rankings until Steve Smith surged ahead, putting up a staggering 774 runs over four Tests during the Ashes clash with England.
While Kohli was in top form, hitting a double century against South Africa and a century against Bangladesh, Steve Smith struggled to find his rhythm against Pakistan, scoring just 4 and 36. In contrast, other Australian players like Warner and Labuschagne fared much better.
Due to Steve Smith's disappointing performances in Adelaide and Brisbane, he lost enough ranking points for Virat Kohli to leapfrog him from second place back to No.1.
With a career total of 7,202 runs and 27 centuries across 84 Tests, Kohli is finished with Test cricket for the remainder of 2019. However, Steve Smith, who has 7,013 runs and 26 centuries in 70 Tests, still has a chance to reclaim the lead during the two-Test series against New Zealand, with the final match taking place in 2020.
Following a massive unbeaten 335 in the Pink ball Test at Adelaide, David Warner has surged up the ICC Test rankings, jumping 12 spots to land in 5th place.