After acquiring a colossal victory by an innings and 176 runs over Pakistan in the second Test at Christchurch, New Zealand has now raced past Australia to become the No. 1 Test team in the ICC Test Team Rankings.
With the second victory, New Zealand whitewashed Pakistan in the series, taking a 2-0 lead, and hence, emerging as the winners. The victory has also made for them to make it into the finals of the World Test Championship slated to take place at the Lord’s in June.
With this, they have also become the sixth country in the last decade to clinch the NO. 1 Test team title, and the Kane Williamson led side has acquired the spot for the first time in the test Ranking.
New Zealand achieved the feat earning 3198 points with a rating point of 118. On the other hand, Australia has stumbled down to the second position and are at 3028 points, with the rating point of 116. India, which is 2 rating points behind Australia, is ranked number 3.
While the Kiwis collectively charged towards the visitors in the quest to defeat them, two of the players emerged as the shining stars and assured victory within four days. Kane Williamson played a heroic role in taking New Zealand to an unassailable win. The captain served his role as a leader brilliantly. Taking lead in the first innings itself, the knight in the shining armour slammed 238 runs. The double ton broke several records and he surpassed Virat Kohli and Steve Smith, who had cemented their positions in the top spot, periodically exchanging the top 2 spots, to become the No. 1 Test batsman.
New Zealand has stitched a massive total of 659 runs before declaring the match at the loss of 6 wickets. It had already left Pakistan, who was now trailing by 362, to struggle towards achieving the total. And to put fuel in the fire, pacer Kyle Jamieson, our second shining star here, wet all out to diminish any chances of their victory.
Jamieson, only with the experience of 11 Test innings, picked up his second five-wicket haul in the match. Conceding 117 runs in the entire match, he bagged 11 wickets, how brilliant for someone playing only their sixth Test.
One can only marvel at the beauty with which the Kiwis played their game. Unwavering determination, moving ahead with pure class, they won four Tests straight, two each against West Indies and Pakistan, and scaled the rankings.
