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New Delhi: Australia vice captain, Steve Smith on Monday leapfroged Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkra to reach at the top spot in ICC’s Test batting rankings.
It makes Smith the second youngest batsman after former India legend Sachin Tendulkar to achieve the number-one spot.
The 26-year-old, has also become the first Australian to achieve the feat since 2012, when Michael Clarke held the top spot.
Smith jumped three spots to reach the level as before the start of the away series against West Indies, the right-hander was at the fourth spot — behind Sangakkara, and South African duo of AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla.
Smith’s superb knock of 199 in the first innings of the second Test helped the stylish batsman to reach the top in Test rankings, for which he was also awarded with the Man of the Match award at Kingston.
The young Aussie skipper has been going through a purple patch with the bat and is the leading the Test run scorer over the past year. Smith has scored an emphatic 1226 runs at an average of 102.16.
