Right before the ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand, the ICC Test rankings for batsmen have incurred a huge shake-up. Australia stalwart Steve Smith is back as the No. 1 batsman in the standings, dethroning Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson.
It is the first time since the Boxing Day Test last year that Smith has found himself at the summit position. The change came into place after Williamson had a forgettable Test series against England from a personal point of view.
The top-order batsman only aggregated 13 runs cumulatively in the first Test at the Lord’s Cricket Ground that ended in a draw. An injury saw Williamson miss the second Test at Edgbaston, hence paving way for Smith to claim the No. 1 spot. Courtesy of his performances in the Test series, Williamson lost 5 points because of which he dropped down to No. 2 spot.
ICC Test Rankings for Batsmen:
| Rank | Name | Country | Rating |
| 1 | S.P.D. Smith | AUS | 891 |
| 2 | K.S. Williamson | NZ | 886 |
| 3 | M. Labuschagne | AUS | 878 |
| 4 | V. Kohli | IND | 814 |
| 5 | J.E. Root | ENG | 797 |
| 6 | R.G. Sharma | IND | 747 |
| 6 | R.R. Pant | IND | 747 |
| 8 | H.M. Nicholls | NZ | 732 |
| 9 | D.A. Warner | AUS | 724 |
| 10 | Babar Azam | PAK |
714
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South Africa wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock also gained a whopping 11 places to find himself at the 12th spot, his highest position in the rankings since December 2019. De Kock had scored a 141 for South Africa to help his side claim a 63-un win over West Indies.
The rankings also produced a positive change for Kohli who moved from 5th position to 4th in the ICC Test Rankings for batsmen. Kohli has as many as 6 Test matches to come — one against New Zealand in the WTC final and 5 against England — and he would be determined to further improve his position in the ICC Test rankings.
