New Zealand captain Kane Williamson surpassed Steve Smith and Virat Kohli to become the new top-ranked Test batsman as announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Williamson surpassed the two stalwarts with a match-winning century against Pakistan in the first Test in Mount Maunganui. Reacting to his accomplishment, the Kiwi skipper lavished praises on both his contemporaries, calling them the 'best.' "Those two players (Virat Kohli and Kohli Smith) are the best. For me to sneak up in some way is very surprising and humbling. Year in and year out, those two players in all formats are moving the game forward. Real fortunate to be playing against these guys," Williamson said in a video posted by ICC. Kane Williamson Surpasses Steve Smith & Virat Kohli to Become Number One Batsman.

Speaking about his journey to the pinnacle of rankings, Williamson said his first priority is to take his side over the line and individual achievements are just bonus. "It's very much (about) trying to do as much as you can for the team. I do see some of those individual rankings driven by efforts of so many other players or the XI that we want go to in (with). If you can be contributing as much as you can, and it can be reflected on the rankings, that's really cool. (Our) team is driven to move each other forward and give to one another," Williamson opined. Kane Williamson Hailed By Netizens As New Zealand Becomes Number One Test Team.

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Notably, New Zealand also became the top-ranked Test team for the very first time after their 101-run triumph over Pakistan. They are currently sharing the top-spot with Australia while India slipped down to the third position. However, the Kiwis can become the lone leaders after defeating Pakistan in the second and final Test which gets underway on January 3 at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 31, 2020 06:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).