Rishabh Pant storms to No.5, Virat Kohli drops out of top-10 in ICC Test ranking

LONDON: Team India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant broke into the top-5 of the ICC Test ranking for the first time after scoring a century and fifty in the rescheduled fifth Test at Edgbaston, while star batter Virat Kohli dropped three places to 13th after a string of poor performances.

Wicketkeeper-batter Pant put India on top early in the Test against England with 146 runs off just 111 balls in the first innings then followed up with 57 later in the match. Pant's recent form with two tons and three half-centuries in his past six Test innings has earned him a highest-ever position in the Test batting rankings, moving six places to fifth.

Virat Kohli, who only managed scores of 11 and 20 against England in rescheduled Edgbaston Test and slipped out of the top-10 in the ICC men's Test player rankings.

Bairstow helped guide England to a stunning fourth-innings triumph over India with an unbeaten 114, and now climbs 11 places to tenth in the Test batting rankings.

The 32-year-old is arguably in the finest form of his career with four tons in his past three Tests, including dual centuries in the rescheduled Test against India after reaching three-figures in consecutive matches against New Zealand.

Bairstow has 1218 runs at an average of 55.36 with six centuries in the current ICC World Test Championship cycle.

Bairstow's stunning rise reflects in the rankings - ahead of the New Zealand series, the Yorkshireman was 47th in batters' ranking with 541 rating points. Four matches and four centuries later, he has broken into the top 10 for the first time since 2018.

Joe Root continues to hail supreme at the top of the rankings and an unbeaten century (142 not out) in England's record chase at Edgbaston sees him attain his highest rating points (923).

It also puts the former England captain in the elite list of top 20 highest-rated batters in ICC Rankings history.

James Anderson played his part to keep England in the contest in the recent Test against India with a five for in the first innings and now has 17 wickets in three Tests since his recall. IANS

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