Explained: How Australia Dethroned India As No.1 Team In Tests Despite No Action Going On Right Now
Published - 01 May 2020, 03:54 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:05 AM
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India’s long stay at the top of ICC Test Rankings came to an end on Friday (May 1). The ICC announced the new rankings with Australia taking the top spot followed by New Zealand and India.
India were dethroned from the top spot in Tests for the first time since October 2016. In the ICC’s annual rankings update, the Tim Paine-led side has jumped to the top of the Test standings ahead of New Zealand and India, with just two points separating the top three teams.
Australia have currently 116 rating points while New Zealand moved up to second with 115 points in the Test rankings. India, currently ranked third, have 114 points, nine more than England at the fourth position.
Reason behind India losing the top spot:
A number of fans have been surprised with the latest update from ICC. Despite no cricket going on at the moment due to the coronavirus pandemic, the change in rankings has left many baffled. Well, the reason is that the latest ranking is the annual ranking and not the one that is calculated after every series.
The latest Test Rankings have eliminated the results from 2016-17 season. In the latest update, that rates all matches played since May 2019 at 100 per cent and those of the previous two years at 50 per cent.
India have lost their top spot largely because the Virat Kohli-led side had won 12 Tests and lost just one Test in 2016-17, the records of which were removed in the latest update. They had won all five series during this period including against Australia England. After that season, India lost Test series in South Africa, England as well as New Zealand.
On the other hand, Australia had lost to South Africa as well as to India in the same period. But their performance in the last one year or so has been really stunning. After winning just one of their first six Tests after Justin Langer took charge as coach in 2018, Australia have only lost two of their past 12 matches and followed their retention of the Ashes last year with five wins from five in the 2019-20 Test summer.
South Africa have suffered the biggest rating fall of eight points, which sees them drop below Sri Lanka into sixth place. They had won three series in the period culled, while they have lost eight of their nine Tests since February 2019.
ICC Test rankings
1 – Australia (116 points)
2 – New Zealand (115)
3 – India (114)
4 – England (105)
5 – Sri Lanka (91)
6 – South Africa (90)
7 – Pakistan (86)
8 – West Indies (79)
9 – Bangladesh (55)
10 – Zimbabwe (18)
