Virat Kohli was at the top of the ICC Test ranking batsmen for 274 days in 2019, while Australian maestro Steve Smith occupied the top position for 91 days during the year.
India captain Virat Kohli will end the year at the top of the ICC Test ranking for batsmen but Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara slipped a place to fifth.
With 928 points, Kohli is way ahead of second-placed Australian maestro Steve Smith (911) and New Zealand's inspirational skipper Kane Williamson (822), while Australia's Marnus Labuschagne, who has amassed 1,085 runs in 11 Tests this year, improved a place to grab the fourth spot.
Kohli was at the top for 274 days in 2019, while Smith occupied the top position for 91 days during the year.
Pujara was placed fifth with 791 points, while Ajinkya Rahane was joint seventh with 759 points.
With his enterprising 95 against England in the first Test, Quinton de Kock not only set up his team's win, but also shot into the top-10 of the latest rankings released on Monday.
In the bowling, India's lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah, returning from an injury lay-off, remained static at sixth position with 794 points, while spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (772 points) and seamer Mohammed Shami (771) were ninth and tenth respectively in the order.
Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins has finished at the top of the bowlers’ list with a five-wicket haul in the first innings in Melbourne. He occupied the top place for 321 days during the year while South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada was No. 1 for 44 days after starting 2019 in top position.
Vernon Philander has moved up three places to fifth position while the England trio of Stuart Broad (up two places to 14th), Joffra Archer (up three places to 40th) and Sam Curran (up five places to 45th) have also made notable progress. James Pattinson has moved up 46 places to 54th position after taking three wickets in each innings.
Jason Holder finished as the top all-rounder, occupying number one position for 342 days. Shakib Al Hasan was at the top for 23 days.
In the ICC World Test Championship, Australia have strengthened their position in second place in the points table after gaining 40 points for the Test win. They are on 256 points and could go up to 296 by the end of the series. South Africa have 30 points after their first win in the WTC while New Zealand and England remain on 60 and 56 points, respectively.
Each series of the WTC is worth 120 points, distributed evenly over the number of matches in a series. The points range from 60 points for each match of a two-Test series to 24 for each match of a five-Test series. The top two teams at the end of the league will play the final in the UK in June 2021 with the winners crowned the World Test Champions.
