Suspended Smith replaces Kohli as top-ranked Test batsman

13 آب 2018 15:45

Suspended former Australia captain Steve Smith has returned to the top of the ICC's Test batting rankings without hitting a ball in five-day cricket after Virat Kohli slipped down the list.

India skipper Kohli last week became the first player from his country to reach the summit since Sachin Tendulkar in 2011.

But a disappointing performance in the second Test against England, where he made scores of 23 and 17 in the innings-and-159-runs defeat at Lord's, cost him 15 points.

Consequently, Kohli slips to 919 and 10 fewer than that accumulated by Smith, who has not played Test cricket since the controversial third contest against South Africa in March.

India captain @imVkohli has slipped back down behind Steve Smith into second in the @MRFWorldwide ICC Test Batting Rankings following their heavy defeat at Lord's.

 https://t.co/dHfF0HQul5 pic.twitter.com/m9Q2Zyt3OS

— ICC (@ICC) August 13, 2018

Smith was banned for 12 months by Cricket Australia for his role in the ball-tampering scandal in Newlands, for which David Warner was also suspended for a year and Cameron Bancroft was sanctioned for nine months. 

In the bowling rankings, James Anderson - who finished with match figures of 9-43 in the India hammering - became the first England bowler since Ian Botham in 1980 to break the 900-point barrier.

BREAKING: @jimmy9 becomes the first England bowler since @BeefyBotham in 1980 to pass 900 points in the @MRFWorldwide ICC Test Bowling Rankings! 

 https://t.co/GXVFVoJ3rb pic.twitter.com/WRKzuLNjV6

— ICC (@ICC) August 13, 2018