ICC Test rankings: India, Virat Kohli retain spots despite NZ drubbing

New Delhi, March 3: India remain top of the International Cricket Council's Test rankings despite the 2-0 drubbing they received in New Zealand. India have 116 rating points and lead second-placed New Zealand by six points. Third-placed Australia are on 108 points.

Indian captain Virat Kohli remains second on the batsmen's rankings on 886 rating points. Top ranked Steve Smith is on 911 points. Kohli had a dismal series in New Zealand, scoring 38 runs in four innings as India lost the two matches by 10 wickets and seven wickets respectively.

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson lost his third place to Australia's Marnus Labuschagne. Mayank Agarwal fell out of the top 10, being replaced by England all rounder Ben Stokes.

Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah and his New Zealand counterpart Trent Boult returned to the top 10 while Boult's new ball partner Tim Southee, who was declared player of the series, has jumped two places to no.4 on the bowlers' rankings.

Kyle Jamieson rose to 43 on the bowlers' rankings. Jamieson had made his Test debut in the series and took nine wickets and scored 93 runs as he repeatedly led lower order fightbacks from New Zealand to frustrate India. This meant that he jumped 26 places to no.22 on the all-rounders' list.

Tom Blundell scored 117 runs in the series with one half century and the performance helped him jump 27 places to no. 46. Prithvi Shaw, playing his first series since he made his debut in 2018, scored 98 runs including 54 in the first innings of the second Test and rose 17 places to 76.