Joe Root skips past Virat Kohli in the latest ICC Test Rankings for batsmen

England skipper Joe Root went past Virat Kohli in the latest ICC Test Rankings for batsmen on the back of his magnificent 218 in the first innings of the Chennai Test against India.

Root moved from fifth to third place, whereas the Indian skipper slipped from fourth to fifth position.

Nevertheless, Virat Kohli continues to be the highest ranked Indian player in the ICC Test batsmen rankings with 852 points. New Zealand's Kane Williamson leads the batting charts with 919 points.

India has two representatives in the top 10, with Cheteshwar Pujara being the other one. The 33-year-old also dropped down a spot to seventh place.

Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane slipped out of the top 10 following his twin failures in the first Test in Chennai. The Indian vice-captain is now in 11th position. Australian opener David Warner sneaked into the top 10 in the latest rankings.

Camraderie between Virat Kohli and Joe Root

🤝#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/WlYzJ98qwt

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 6, 2021

There was a point in Joe Root's long innings in Chennai when the England skipper struggled with a cramp. As soon as the incident occurred, the 30-year-old was helped by Virat Kohli.

At the end of the day's play, Root praised the Indian captain for his gesture, saying:

"Very kind of Virat (Kohli) to help me out (with cramps), good sportsmanship from him...It's just like a long day, and then after a few overs, I get some fluids and cooled down."

Kohli himself scored a fluent 72 runs on day five of the Chennai Test, but his efforts went in vain as England registered a comfortable win.

Going forward in the series, it would be imperative for the Indian bowlers to restrict Joe Root if they want to stage a comeback after the drubbing they received in Chennai.

Joe Root has always done well against India in the longest format, scoring 1679 runs in 17 Tests against the Men In Blue. He averages just over 62 against India, his best against any nation.