Published 16:46 IST, February 26th 2020
Steve Smith dethrones King Kohli from top of ICC Test rankings, Agarwal debuts in top 10
Australia's Steve Smith toppled Virat Kohli to top the ICC Test rankings after the Indian skipper endured a rare failure in the first test against New Zealand
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After a forgettable first Test for skipper Virat Kohli, where he endured a rare failure as he failed to make an impact as India suffered a massive 10-wicket defeat under his captaincy for the first time, Australia's Steve Smith toppled the Indian skipper to top the ICC Test rankings. In the first Test at Wellington, Kohli could only manage to score 2 runs in the first innings and 19 in the second innings.
Meanwhile, Mayank Agarwal, who was the only batsman to cross the 50-run mark in the first Test made his debut in the top-10 lists. At present, Steve Smith holds the number one position with 911 points and Virat Kohli stands second with 906 points.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson moved up a position in the ICC Test Rankings after his brilliant knock of 89 in the first test against India at Wellington. The top 10 list also features Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara at the eighth and ninth position respectively.
After scores of 2 and 19 in the first #NZvIND Test, Virat Kohli has suffered a slip, allowing Steve Smith to move back to the No.1 spot on the @MRFWorldwide ICC Test Rankings for batsmen! pic.twitter.com/JtakdSdp6C
— ICC (@ICC) February 26, 2020
'No shame and harm in accepting the defeat': Virat Kohli
Earlier, after the loss, Indian skipper Virat Kohli had said that there is no shame and harm in accepting the defeat and added that the team will come out much better in the next game after accepting this loss.
"We have to understand that we were not at our best in the game and there is no shame and harm in accepting that. Only when we accept this, we will come out in the next game with a much better mindset and much better competitiveness that we have shown as a team. That is the representation of the Test team," he said.
India look to bounce back
As New Zealand has already drawn first blood in Test series, Team India would settle for nothing less than a win when both the teams lock horns in the second and final Test at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on February 29. It is a must-win contest for the top-ranked side as a stalemate or even a washout would mean that they end up losing the series. Meanwhile, the hosts would be looking to add insult to injury by coming out on top once again.
16:46 IST, February 26th 2020