ICC Test player rankings | Virat Kohli retains second spot as Aiden Markram enters Top ten

RCB skipper Virat Kohli has been amongst the top three Test batsmen in the ICC rankings for a while now. Kohli managed to retain the number two position behind current number one Steve Smith who will remain at 929 points for the rest of the season due to the 12-month ban imposed on him by Cricket Australia.

However, the story of the moment is of young South African batsman Aiden Markram who has broken into the top 10 for the first time in his short career. The 23-year-old’s knocks of 152 and 37 not only contributed in South Africa’s massive 492-run victory over Australia in Johannesburg which resulted in a 3-1 series win but have also helped him move up six places to ninth position in the latest rankings.

Markram, who previously led the South African U-19 team to the ICC U-19 World Cup title in UAE 2014, is also part of a distinguished list of ten other batsmen which includes the legendary Don Bradman ho have scored 1,000 runs or more in their first 10 Tests.

South African fast bowlers put up a stunning display against Australia in the four Test matches and due to which for most of them made the latest rankings update a joyful one.

Pacer Vernon Philander’s player of the match effort of nine for 51 lifted him six places to the third rank. Player of the series Kagiso Rabada retained number one spot as he added three points to take his tally to 902 while Morne Morkel has finished off on a high.

33-year old Morkel, who bowled despite a side strain in the second innings of his the last Test of the series touched 800 rating points for the first time in his career. He is now ranked joint-sixth along with Australia’s Pat Cummins, who rose up from 18th to sixth place with nine wickets in Johannesburg.