Labuschagne closes in on Virat Kohli's record after replacing Root as World No. 1 in Tests

Australian cricketer Marnus Labuschagne has replaced former England captain Joe Root as the No. 1 Test batter in the world. Labuschagne rose to the top of the ICC Men's Test Batting Rankings, thanks to his performance in the first Test against West Indies, where he registered scores of 204 and 104* to help his team win the match. As the 28-year-old claimed the top spot from Root, he also closed in on a career-high rating of 936, which he had achieved against Pakistan earlier this year. 

If Labuschagne performs well in the second Test against West Indies, he will not just have the opportunity to go past his own career-high rating but also surpass Virat Kohli in the all-time list. The former World No. 1 ranked Kohli has a career-high rating of 937, which he achieved against England in 2018. Labuschagne is just two rating points behind from breaking Kohli's record in the all-time Test batting rankings. 

As far as the all-time Test batting rankings are concerned, Australian great Sir Don Bradman tops the chart with a rating of 961, which he achieved against India in 1948. Virat Kohli is the only Indian batter to feature in the top 20 of the list.  

All-Time Test Batting Rankings 

Image: AP