It is a great honour for a cricketer to reach on the top position in any kind of ICC players’ rankings table. The batsmen also feel the similar respects after reaching on the top position of the ICC Test batting rankings.
To achieve the top spot of the ICC Test batting rankings, the batsmen need to give their best ever effort for a long time. The batsmen, who successfully hold this spot for a long time, they maintain their best-ever performances for a long time.
Here we are talking about the top five batsmen from modern times who enjoyed the top spot on the ICC Test batting rankings for many years (information has been taken from ICC’s official ranking page)
AB de Villiers (2013-2014 and 2015)
Former South African captain AB de Villiers was a very dangerous batsman. The right-handed batsman had the remarkable ability to score runs from all over the ground as he was famously known as the Mr. 360. Serving for South Africa between 2004 and 2018, De Villiers scored 8765 runs in 114 Tests with an average of 50.66. The right-handed batsman hit 22 centuries and 46 half-centuries during his Test career.
In late 2013, De Villiers reached the top spot on the ICC Test batting rankings for the first time, which he maintained that position till 2014. In early 2015, he again climbed up the top position on the ICC Test batting rankings. His highest Test rating was 935 (23rd February 2014), which was the joint 12th highest rating in the Test batting rankings history.