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Smith continues charge up ICC Test rankings

Sangakarra back on top but Aussie sensation Smith continues his meteoric rise

Sri Lanka's prolific batsman Kumar Sangakarra has reclaimed the mantle of world's best Test batsman after his 11th career double century.

But Australia's stand-in skipper Steven Smith is catching fast after a golden summer with the bat, and has risen to fourth on the International Cricket Council's ranking system.

Smith scored 117 and 71 in the fourth Test in Sydney – his fourth consecutive century of the series – and broke records for his prolificacy in the four-Test Commonwealth Bank series.

Smith passes Sir Don's record in Sydney

India's new Test skipper Virat Kohli also was on the up, moving three places to be ranked 12th after he also finished the series with four centuries.

Australia opener Chris Rogers, who hit six consecutive half-centuries, is now ranked the 18th best Test batsman after moving up six places.

Sangakarra hit 203 in Wellington before he was dismissed by a flying catch at backward point by Trent Boult in the second Test against New Zealand.

The Black Caps won the Test by 193 runs, but Sangakarra's knock – and a second-innings five – was enough to see him overtake South Africa's AB de Villiers.

The Sri Lankan is one point clear of de Villiers on the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen, on 909 points. Proteas skipper Hashim Amla sits in third.

Black Caps rising star Kane Williamson hit a double-century of his own in the Test, a second innings unbeaten 242 to go with a first innings knock of 69, to jump seven places to a career-best ranking of sixth.

Starc removes Vijay in the first over 

In the bowlers' rankings, Mitchell Starc's efforts in Sydney saw him ove up nine places to be ranked 33rd, while Shane Watson (38) and Test newcomer Josh Hazlewood (46) also improved their rankings.

South Africa’s Dale Steyn still heads the bowling rankings and holds a commanding 79-point lead over second-placed Ryan Harris, who has been overlooked for Australia's ICC Cricket World Cup squad.

New Zealand’s Boult now is ranked the sixth best Test bowler, on 795 points, nine adrift of Australia’s Mitchell Johnson who missed the Sydney Test.

Top 10 Test Batsmen

1 Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 909 points
2 AB de Villiers (SA) 908
3 Hashim Amla (SA) 891
4 Steven Smith (Aus) 873
5 Angelo Mathews (SL) 841
6 Kane Williamson (NZ) 839
7 Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) 834
8 Younus Khan (Pak) 818
9 David Warner (Aus) 805
10 Joe Root (Eng) 789

Top 10 Test Bowlers

1 Dale Steyn (SA) 905
2 Ryan Harris (Aus) 826
3 Rangana Herath (SL) 807
4 James Anderson (Eng) 806
5 Mitchell Johnson (Aus) 804
6 Trent Boult (NZ) 795
7 Vernon Philander (SA) 780
8 Stuart Broad (Eng) 774
9 Kemar Roach (WI) 759
10 Tim Southee (NZ) 743

The full rankings can be viewed here.