Smith regains top spot

LONDON: Australia’s Steven Smith has regained top spot in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Test batting rankings following a Man-of-the-Match display in his side’s commanding 405-run win over England in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s on Sunday.
Smith made a Test-best 215 in Australia’s first innings 566 for eight declared and added a quickfire 58 in their second innings during a victory which saw the tourists level the five-match series at 1-1.
The 26-year-old had been dethroned as the world’s leading Test batsman by AB de Villiers after he was twice out for 33 in Australia’s 169-run defeat by England in the Ashes opener in Cardiff.
However, the in-form Smith — who has now scored six hundreds in his last eight Tests — has regained first place from de Villiers and leads the South Africa star by 28 ranking points in the ICC standings.
The Lord’s Test also saw a career-high gain for veteran Australia opener Chris Rogers who, in the first of the innings of the match, made a Test-best 173 and followed up with an unbeaten 49 in Australia’s second innings 254 for two declared.
Rogers climbed 12 places into ninth spot on 793 points, 20 behind New Zealand’s Kane Williamson.
David Warner, Rogers’s opening partner remained in 10th spot, while Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, has dropped three places to 20th.
England’s Joe Root moved down two places to sixth.
Meanwhile Australia left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson has climbed three places to fourth position in the ICC’s Test bowler rankings after taking six for 80 at Lord’s.
That left the 33-year-old with 299 Test wickets in a 68-match career and Johnson will be eyeing a significant landmark when the third Ashes Test gets underway at Birmingham’s Edgbaston ground on July 29.
One more wicket will see Johnson become only the fifth Australian to take 300 Test wickets after leg-spin great Shane Warne (in second place on the all-time list on 708 wickets), and the pace trio of Glenn McGrath (in fourth place on 563), Dennis Lillee (in 20th place on 355) and Brett Lee (in 25th place on 310). Johnson currently lies in 28th place overall.