Steve Smith might be serving a 12-month ban due to his involvement in the ball tampering scandal but he still continues to head the ICC Test ranking for batsmen according to the latest rankings released by ICC. With 929 points, the former Australian captain is placed comfortably at the top of the table.
Indian captain Virat Kohli was at the second position with 903 points, while Cheteshwar Pujara was placed at the sixth spot. Joe Root was the only England batsman in the top 10.
India's spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin held on to the third and fifth position respectively in the latest ICC Test rankings for bowlers, which was headed by England pacer James Anderson ahead of the five-match Test series starting in Birmingham on August 1.
Jadeja and Ashwin have 866 and 811 points respectively, while South African duo of Kagiso Rabada (882) and Vernon Philander (826) are placed in the second and fourth spot respectively.
Anderson, who claimed nine wickets in England's drawn two-Test series at home against Pakistan earlier this summer, has 892 points, while Rabada slipped to second despite claiming eight wickets during the two Tests in the Proteas' 2-0 series defeat in Sri Lanka.
Two Indian and as many English players found a place in the top 10 of ICC ranking for all-rounders with Jadeja and Ashwin at the second and fourth place and Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali grabbing the sixth and seventh spot respectively.
(With inputs from PTI)
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