Kohli slips to No.2 in ICC Test rankings

India skipper Virat Kohli dropped a spot to No.2 in the latest ICC rankings for Test batsmen, a day after his side slumped to an innings and 159-run loss to England in the Lord's Test.

Kohli, who rose to the numero-uno spot by overtaking banned Australian Steve Smith last week, scored 23 and 17 at the home of cricket, even as the visitors succumbed for 107 and 130, to concede a 0-2 lead to the hosts in the five-Test rubber.

Besides Kohli, his deputy Ajinkya Rahane (23), and openers Lokesh Rahul (25), Murali Vijay (34) and Shikhar Dhawan (26) also slipped in their rankings.

However, Ravichandran Ashwin was the notable exception, moving up in the list for batsmen from 67th to 57th, with defiant innings of 29 and 33 not out.

Ashwin has also leap-frogged South Africa's Vernon Philander to grab the third position among all-rounders.

For England, wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow's 93-run knock has lifted him back into the top 10, in ninth place.

Among the bowlers, veteran quick James Anderson has become only the seventh England bowler and the first in 38 years from his country to breach the 900-point mark.

No.1-ranked Anderson's outstanding match figures of 9/43 have enabled him to reach 903 points and join a select group comprising Sydney Barnes (932), George Lohmann (931), Tony Lock (912), Ian Botham (911), Derek Underwood (907) and Alec Bedser (903), all of whom peaked at over 900 points during their careers.

Anderson now leads second-placed South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada by 21 points in the bowlers' list.

India's Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin are stable at No.3 and No.5, respectively with Philander separating the duo.

Among others, India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has moved up 25 places to take the 74th spot among bowlers.

England's Chris Woakes, who slammed an unbeaten 137 in England's only innings and chipped in with four wickets in the match, has gained 34 places to reach a career-best 50th position among batsmen while also moving up three places to 32nd among bowlers and by five places to seventh among all-rounders.

--IANS

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