Sri Lanka’s historic 2-0 series triumph in South Africa has helped New Zealand climb to the No2 spot in the ICC Test rankings for the first time in their history.
Sri Lanka became only the third team in history after England and Australia to beat South Africa in their own backyard and that loss has seen the Proteas slip to the third spot in the rankings behind New Zealand.
The Kane Williamson led New Zealand side had an excellent 2018 in the Test arena with series victories against England and Sri Lanka at home along with a sensational 2-1 triumph against Pakistan in the UAE.
“It’s pretty cool. It’s testament to the cricket we have been playing for the last 12 months if not longer,” Kiwi batsman Henry Nicholls told the ICC after the latest ranking update.
“It’s been great having a lot of different guys come in and doing well. It’s a by-product of the culture we’ve been trying to build: enjoying each other’s success and making sure everyone is clear on their role. It’s nice to have that depth around the nation,” Nicholls added.
"It's a byproduct of the culture we've been trying to build" – Henry Nicholls after New Zealand reached No.2 in the @MRFWorldwide ICC Test Team Rankings.
— ICC (@ICC) February 25, 2019
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The Kiwis will look to extend their winning run when they host Bangladesh in a three-match Test series starting on February 28. Nicholls has urged his team-mates to be wary of any complacency in the wake of their ranking jump.
“It’s important for us [to know] that we’re only as good as the cricket that we play against Bangladesh,” he stated.
“So, while some of those rankings things are cool to acknowledge and a lot of people might talk about, for us it’s keeping it really simple and acknowledging the challenge Bangladesh are going to pose for us.”
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli’s India continue to lead the ICC Test rankings and have a substantial lead of nine rating points over second-placed New Zealand.
