Kohli jumps to career-best ranking after Johannesburg heroics

India’s Virat Kohli jumped nine places to achieve a career-best 11th in the latest Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen.

The dashing batsman, who scored 119 and 96 in the two innings of the first Test against South Africa, is the second highest-ranked Indian after Cheteshwar Pujara, another centurion in the same match in Johannesburg, who remained on seventh after earning 37 rating points.

South Africa's A B de Villiers, one of the two South African centurions to help draw the Johannesburg Test, leads the rankings. He is ahead of compatriot and second-ranked Hashim Amla by 25 ratings points.

Meanwhile, South Africa fast bowler Vernon Philander achieved the coveted number-one ranking for Test bowlers after a stellar performance in the drawn Johannesburg Test.

Philander dislodged team-mate Dale Steyn, who was at the top of table since July 2009 when he went past Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan.

Overall, Steyn spent 186 matches at the number-one position, the second-most ever after Muralitharan.

Philander entered the Test trailing Steyn by four ratings points.

While Philander recorded figures of four for 61 and three for 68, Steyn picked just one wicket. The contrasting performances resulted in Philander gaining 13 ratings points and Steyn conceding 13.

This swing means Philander now leads Steyn by 22 ratings points and the 28-year-old from Bellville will start the Durban Test as the number-one ranked bowler in the world for the first time in his career.

Philander is now the seventh South Africa bowler to claim the number-one rank after Aubrey Faulkner (1914-1921), Hugh Tayfield (1955-1958), Peter Pollock (1969), Allan Donald (1998-1999), Shaun Pollock (1999-2003) and Steyn (2008-2013).

Overall, he is the 74th bowler to head the Test bowling rankings.

Philander also become the third South Africa bowler after Pollock and Steyn to break the barrier of 900 ratings points, considered a landmark for top bowlers.

His total of 912 ratings points is the joint-sixth best ever, with England's Tony Lock and West Indies paceman Curtly Ambrose, and the best-ever by a South Africa bowler.

In the team rankings, New Zealand's eight-wicket win over the West Indies in the Hamilton Test helped it register a 2-0 series win, and thereby gain seven ratings points to retain seventh position with 82 ratings points.

The West Indies, on the other hand, dropped behind Sri Lanka in seventh position in the table, headed by South Africa (131 rating points).

India are second with 119 rating points.

England off-spinner Graeme Swann, who retired from international cricket on Sunday, ended his Test career in 15th spot.

Swann's highest ranking with the ball was when he achieved the number-two position in March 2010. He reached a peak of 858 points later that year.

Swann also spent 41 matches and 111 days in 2011 as the top-ranked ODI bowler, first reaching the top on July 3, 2011. He ended his ODI career ranked No 24 on the bowling table.

He also spent 35 matches and 338 days as the top ranked T20I bowler, first reaching the top on December 30, 2010.

He ended his T20 career in 17th position.