• India captain Virat Kohli is now the top-ranked batsman in Test cricket. AFP
    India captain Virat Kohli is now the top-ranked batsman in Test cricket. AFP
  • Virat Kohli thanks the crowd after securing a Test series win over Bangladesh in Kolkata last month. AP
    Virat Kohli thanks the crowd after securing a Test series win over Bangladesh in Kolkata last month. AP
  • Virat Kohli scored a century against Bangladesh in the Kolkata Test - the country's first-ever pink-ball Test. AFP
    Virat Kohli scored a century against Bangladesh in the Kolkata Test - the country's first-ever pink-ball Test. AFP
  • Virat Kohli averages more than 50 in all three formats. AFP
    Virat Kohli averages more than 50 in all three formats. AFP
  • Virat Kohli has scored 27 centuries in Test cricket, five more than the number of fifties under his belt. AFP
    Virat Kohli has scored 27 centuries in Test cricket, five more than the number of fifties under his belt. AFP
  • Under Virat Kohli, India have secured four successive wins by an innings in Test cricket. AFP
    Under Virat Kohli, India have secured four successive wins by an innings in Test cricket. AFP
  • Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten double century against South Africa in the Pune Test in October. AFP
    Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten double century against South Africa in the Pune Test in October. AFP
  • Mayank Agarwal also scored a ton in the Pune Test where Kohli declared while batting on 254. AP
    Mayank Agarwal also scored a ton in the Pune Test where Kohli declared while batting on 254. AP
  • Australia batsman Steve Smith failed to score a fifty in two outings against Pakistan in the recent Test series. AFP
    Australia batsman Steve Smith failed to score a fifty in two outings against Pakistan in the recent Test series. AFP
  • Steve Smith has now slipped to second in the ICC ranking for Test batsmen. Getty Images
    Steve Smith has now slipped to second in the ICC ranking for Test batsmen. Getty Images
  • Steve Smith was dismissed by Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah for the seventh time in Test cricket in the Brisbane Test. EPA
    Steve Smith was dismissed by Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah for the seventh time in Test cricket in the Brisbane Test. EPA
  • Australia did not suffer despite Steve Smith's lack of runs as David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne made big hundreds in both Tests. AFP
    Australia did not suffer despite Steve Smith's lack of runs as David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne made big hundreds in both Tests. AFP

Virat Kohli replaces Steve Smith as No1 Test batsman in latest ICC rankings - in pictures


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India captain Virat Kohli is back on top of the ICC Test rankings for batsmen after bumper series against South Africa and Bangladesh coincided with a rare 'quiet' outing for Australia batting ace Steve Smith.

Kohli now occupies the top spot in the ICC Test rankings with 928 points, five more than second-placed Smith.

Kohli scored an unbeaten double century during the 3-0 Test series sweep against the Proteas at home and followed it up with a fine century in the pink-ball Test against Bangladesh in Kolkata. Those two knocks were enough to push Kohli past Smith, who slipped under the radar during the two-match Test series against Pakistan.

Smith got just two opportunities to bat and made four and 36. They can't be called failures as such because in both Tests Australia's top order batsmen David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne had already piled on the runs by the time Smith came in to bat.

Kohli is now the top-ranked batsman in Tests and ODIs. He is also the only batsman to average more than 50 in all three formats. However, Smith is streets ahead of Kohli when it comes to overall batting in Test cricket, with the Aussie averaging a mind-boggling 63.7 compared to Kohli's 54.9.