Steve Smith displaces Kane Williamson as No. 1 Test batsman; Virat Kohli moves up a spot

Steve Smith has once again become the top-ranked Test batsman in the world, with the ICC updating their rankings ahead of the World Test Championship final.

The Australian takes over from New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, who drops to second place after missing the second England Test due to injury.

With the latest update, Steve Smith is five points clear at the top of the standings with 891 points to his name. Kane Williamson is second with 886 and could replace Smith with a strong showing in the WTC final.

The latest @MRFWorldwide ICC Test Player Rankings are here!https://t.co/oCmEz90kev

— ICC (@ICC) June 16, 2021

Virat Kohli is the only other batsman to make an upward move in the ICC Test rankings. The Indian skipper moved to fourth, replacing Joe Root as the England skipper dropped to fifth. Root didn’t have the best of times against New Zealand, with the 30-year-old managing just 97 runs across two games.

With 814 points, Virat Kohli is some way off third-placed Marnus Labuschagne (878 points). However, with a five-match Test series against England on the horizon following the WTC final, the talismanic skipper could soon rise to the No. 1 spot if things go his way.

The rest of the top 10 ICC Test batsmen rankings remain the same. Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, Henry Nicholls, David Warner and Babar Azam round off the list.

Steve Smith closing in on a unique feat

And he returned to the top, like he never left. The king retained his crown, yet again 👑Steve Smith - the GOAT in Test cricket 🐐 pic.twitter.com/Bmq9HOrIrP

— A (@khogayehamkahan) June 16, 2021

Steve Smith reclaimed the No. 1 spot in Tests for the first time since last year's Boxing Day Test. Smith’s return to the summit means he has been at the top for 167 Tests played worldwide in total. He is only behind Garry Sobers and Viv Richards in the list, who have been ranked No. 1 for 189 and 179 matches respectively.