Top 10 Indian batsmen with highest ICC Ratings in Tests

The International Cricket Council Player Rankings, which is popularly known as ICC player rankings is dynamic. It keeps on changing according to player's performances, the conditions they batted in, their dominance in those conditions.

Over the years, there have been certain phases of few rare batsmen whose dominance albeit for a short period of time rivalled that of the Aussie all-time great Sir Don Bradman. He topped the year-end chart for his Batsmanship 10 times, with 961(highest rating ever achieved) being his highest.

But, there have been few Indians also in the list, starting from arguably the greatest Indian Test opener and one of the greatest openers of all time, Sunil Gavaskar starting it all in 1978 and as well as 1979. The Indian record for consecutive year-end ICC ranking to honours still stands to this day.

So, here is the list of 10 Indians who achieved the highest ranking in their respective careers-

---

10) Dilip Vengsarkar

Dilip Vengsarkar of India

He was and still is the original Lord of the Lord's cricket ground, the proverbial home of cricket. He has 3 centuries to his name at the iconic ground and on the famous Lord's Honours Board.

In fact, his record at the ground is so special that no other visiting batsman has more than 2 and only Graham Gooch(6), Michael Vaughn(6), Kevin Pietersen(5) Andrew Strauss(5), Alan Lamb(4), Ian Bell(4) and Alastair Cook(4) ahead of him.

So, he achieved his highest ranking vs New Zealand on 16th Nov 1988 after scoring 75 runs in the first innings of the 1st test at Banglore. India won that test match in 172 runs.

RATING:837 POINTS

9) Virender Sehwag

Australia v India - Fourth Test: Day 4

Test cricket is actually a patient team sport where the viewers and players have to sit through days and sessions of thrilling as well as dull moments. But there have been few rare who with their devil-may-care absolutely come to the crease and change the situation of the game in their team's favours.

One such player who it did on a consistent basis with his audacious strokeplay was Virender Sehwag. The sheer genius with which he went about his game ranging from impeccable timing to an unreal hand-eye coordination, made the opposing team and the yesteryear greats doff their hats in respect towards this beast of a player.

It comes as a no-brainer that he achieved his highest Test rating against Sri Lanka on 22nd July 2018 after scoring 109 and 31 in tough Sri Lankan conditions. Unfortunately, the match could not be saved but he was able to register his name among the greats of the game.

RATING:866 POINTS

8) Vijay Hazare

Hazare Bats

The Hall of Fame of Indian batsmanship cannot end with the honourable mention of Vijay Hazare. He was the sort of renaissance man that started the Mumbai's famous lineage of technically sound batsmanship.

He was the first Indian Captain when Indian won its first-ever Test by defeating England at Madras, in 1951-52 series. He has the record of getting Don Bradman's wicket 3 times in Test cricket, and he would do this to a team which would later go on to be known as "The Invincibles".

Nonetheless, he still achieved his highest rating against the arch-rivals Pakistan on 17th November 1952 in the 3rd Test after he scored 146 not out in the first innings and Indian won that match easily by 10 wickets. This series also happened to be Pakistan's first Test series as a team in which they won the 2nd Test match and Indian won the series by 2-1.

RATING:869 POINTS

7) Gundappa Vishwanath

Gundappa Viswanath

He was a champion batsman in his own right. Gundappa Vishwanath for all his centuries and famous non-century knocks was never the one for numbers. Cricket which is essentially called out to be a Number's game, cannot contain this genius's mastery.

His famous 97 at Madras in 1974-75 series against West Indies comprising of Andy Roberts is rated as the second greatest non-century by Wisden 100.

His numbers while do not justify his talent but his impactful innings and flair make him comparable to the likes of Victor Trumper, who while boasting of a poorer record in Tests than Vishwanath's but it was his approach to the game that people still talk about even today.

Nevertheless, he achieved his highest rating against the visiting Australians in 1979-80 series on 17th October 1979 after he top-scored with 131 in the first innings. The match was a draw after India enforced a follow-on.

India went on to win the series with Vishwanath top-scored for the Indian Team with 518 runs in the series.

RATING:871 POINTS

6) Gautam Gambhir

India v England - 2nd Test Day One

It was India's Tour Of New Zeland 2008-09 series, where India had gone with a mission to win a Test series in New Zealand after the famous 1967-68 tour. India had a walk in the park in the first Test, winning the match by 10 wickets.

The real test started in the 2nd match when India was following on after being bowled out for 305 against New Zeland's mammoth first innings total of 619. India was in danger of being losing by an innings, but then came Gautam Gambhir.

His knock of 137 off 436 balls, was a grind that was needed to save the Test match and hence save India from losing the series which they later went on to win. This knock gave the boost and new meaning to Gambhir's batting which achieved its full attainment on 28th November 2009 against Sri Lanka.

Gambhir scored a blistering knock of 167 and in the process, India did not have to bat in the 2nd innings. The Sri Lankans were routed in both the innings to give India a victory by an innings and 144 runs, in turn, Gambhir being rewarded with receiving his highest rating.

RATING:886 POINTS

5) Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara's 143 Runs Against Sri- Lanka

The 8-year career of Pujara has seen him being compared to Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman among others for his sound-proof technique. But, his record in overseas conditions always suggests otherwise as after spending a lot of time at the crease facing many balls he fails to get a move on.

But, when it comes to his subcontinental record he is probably second to only Virat Kohli in this current Indian set up. And he, albeit on a few occasions, has shown his class when he stepped up when his team needed him to.

He carried his bat through the innings after coming to bat as an opener. The 145 not out that he scored which came in a winning cause started this current Indian team's streak of winning matches in that tremendous home season.

It was on 7th August 2017 against the familiar opposition and probably his favourite one, Sri Lanka that he went on to achieve his Highest test rating. He top-scored with 133 runs in the Test match which was instrumental in India winning the match by an innings and 53 runs.

RATING:888 POINTS*

4) Rahul Dravid

England v India: 1st Test - Day Three

Rahul Dravid for all his subtlety and politeness was an institution in himself and true example of class in the way he played and embraced Test cricket. He was not the one for showmanship but was still a fighter deep inside hidden by his stoic demeanour.

If it was not for Sachin Tendulkar to be born and playing in his era, he might as well have gone to become the greatest Batsman that India ever produced. But for what it's worth he is the player that coaches give examples of today, with regards to his conduct and respect for the game.

The proof of which is, he is the only player in Test history to have faced the most number of balls which tells something about his powers of concentration. So, it was only fitting that he achieved the pinnacle of his Test batting rating after scoring twin centuries against Pakistan.

The knocks of 110 and 135 run respectively, helped India win the Test match against their arch-rivals by a respectable 195 runs.

RATING:892 POINTS

3) Sachin Tendulkar

South Africa v India 3rd Test - Day 3

This List of highest rating achieved by a group of special Indians, will not be complete without Sachin Tendulkar who was a batting colossus and an emotion for a billion Indians. The year 2002 was a special year for Tendulkar as he scored the second most number of Test runs in that calendar year.

He accumulated 1392 runs in 26 innings across 16 Test matches with a highest of 193 at an astounding average of 55.68. The most special moment in that year would have been his knock of 193 runs at Leeds which made India won the Test match and helped Indian in drawing the 4-Test match series.

This was the year where he also achieved, highest rating points accumulated by him after the 2nd Test match against Zimbabwe. He played a knock of 176 runs to .win the game for India and also coincidentally passed 7500 runs in the Test match when he was playing on 81. India went on to win the 2 Test match series 2-0 comfortably.

RATING:898 POINTS

2) Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar's 221 runs at Oval

It was the year 1979 turned out to be tremendous in Gavaskar's illustrious career as he accumulated 1407 runs(most by him for any calendar year) in 26 innings across 17 Test matches at an average of 54.12. He scored 4 centuries and 8 half centuries in those Test matches and was at peak of his powers.

This peak became somewhat unreal and mystical when took guard on Day 5 with India's Scorecard at 76/0 with him being contributing 42 runs to that score. It was to be innings of his life as India was chasing an improbable 437 runs.

He stood at the crease for a little over 8 hours facing 443 balls in the process and scoring 221 runs to taking India inches heart-breakingly to the total. He got out at 389/4 but India could not clear the line as the Test match ended in a draw.

This innings got its deserved credit immediately as Gavaskar received his highest rating points for this knock on 3rd September 1979 and in the process becoming first Indian to cross 900-points mark.

RATING:916 POINTS

1) Virat Kohli

England v India: Specsavers 3rd Test - Day Three

It was to be his Baptism By Fire if he was to be touted as the Greatest Batsman of his generation and boy did he deliver. He did it in style after scoring 149 and 51 in the 1st Test match of ongoing India in England test series,2018.

In his very first Test innings on the English Soil after that aberration of a tour in 2014, he scored more than he had scored in the entire 2014 tour. He followed his knock of 149 runs with 51 runs in the second innings of the first Test but could not close the game for his country.

Virat Kohli, a man on a mission to make this team the best travelling team in the world did not disappoint as in the 3rd Test as he scored 97 runs in the first innings and backed it up with an even better performance of 103 runs to help Indian win the game. He came back even harder on the ICC rating table to beat his highest achieved rating in the first Test.

RATING:937 POINTS*

(* indicates active non-retired players)