10 batsmen who are ahead of Virat Kohli in the ICC All-Time Test rankings list

(6) Peter May (England): 941

Peter May is widely considered as the best post War batsman in England cricket.

ICC rankings can be a difficult beast to understand, and are often mocked by fans for how complicated they are. They throw up some surprising results at times, and there is nothing more astonishing than Peter May holding the record for the sixth highest rating of all time. Make no mistake, Peter May was a fantastic cricketer. May played 66 tests in his career and scored 4537 runs at an average of 46.77. It included 13 hundreds and 22 hundreds, the highest being a majestic 285* against West Indies at Edgbaston. May was one of the leading figures of England's golden generation in the 1950s, one which included the likes of Colin Cowdrey, Ken Barrington, Denis Compton, Brian Statham and Fred Trueman.

May also captained England in 41 tests, winning 20 and losing 10 of them. He scored 3080 runs in those tests at an average of 54, including 10 hundreds and 15 half-centuries. While these numbers are fantastic, it is still difficult to understand how May achieved the gargantuan ratings he did. The rankings also take into consideration the opposition bowlers, and how other batsmen fared in the match and that's why May triumphs. May played against the likes of Tayfield, Benaud, Davidson, Miller, Lindwall and Wes Hall which boosted his rankings. Also, his performance in low scoring matches tips the scale in his balance.

May achieved his career high rating of 941 against Australia after The Oval test match in 1957. May scored 83* and 37* in a low scoring thriller, which improved his tally from 936 to 941 points. May remained a conistent post that, but was never able to reach the same heights again. May not have the same pedigree as some of the others in the list, but a spot in the Top 10 is fitting for man many consider the best post-War batsman in England history.