Virat Kohli reaches his career-best Test ranking

India captain Virat Kohli has risen to third place in the global Test batting rankings released by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It is the highest position Kohli has ever held in these rankings.

Kohli, who played a key role as India beat England by eight wickets in the third Test at Mohali to take a 2-0 series lead, is already ranked first in T20 and second in one-day international cricket. In the third Test against England at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium, he scored 62 in the first innings and an unbeaten 6 in the second. Australia captain Steve Smith tops the Test rankings, with England's Joe Root second. Only 14 rating points now separate Kohli and Root.

Before the start of the five-Test series against England, Kohli was 15th in the rankings, but 405 runs in the first three Tests of the ongoing series carried him up to third. India's Cheteshwar Pujara is eighth in these rankings and Ajinkya Rahane is 12th. After innings of 89 and 15 at Mohali, England wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow gained three places to break into the top 10 at number nine.

Meanwhile, Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin leads both the bowling and the all-rounder rankings. With 493 points, Ashwin has considerably strengthened his hold on the top of the Test all-rounders' list. No player has reached so many points in the all-rounder rankings since South Africa's great all-rounder Jacques Kallis retired in 2008. Ashwin tops the bowlers' list with 891 points, 24 points ahead of second-placed Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Rangana Herath.

Besides Ashwin, his spin partner Ravindra Jadeja is also in the top 10 of both the bowling and the all-rounder lists. Jadeja is seventh among bowlers, while his 90 at Mohali lifted him two places to a career-best fourth among all-rounders.