ICC Test rankings: Australia holds top spot after Ashes, India drops to third

Australia has risen to the top of the Test rankings after a 4-0 thrashing of England in the Ashes at home. Meanwhile, India has slid to third place after losing the three-match Test series against South Africa by a score of 2-1. After winning the boxing day Test in Centurion, India took a commanding lead in the series. South Africa made a comeback and won the second game by eight wickets in Johannesburg. The last game was won by the Dean Elgar-led side by seven wickets, keeping the team’s home series win record against India at 100 percent.

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The Pat Cummins-led side, on the other hand, comprehensively dominated the five-match series. At the Gabba, they thrashed the Joe Root-led team by nine wickets. They went on to win the second game, which was a day-night affair, by a whopping 275 runs. In the Boxing Day Test, debutant Scott Boland’s 7/6 ensured his side won by an innings and 14 runs after leading by 82 runs after the first innings. In the fourth game, the three lions managed to tie for the first time in the series with one wicket remaining. When Australia defeated England by 146 runs in three days, normal services resumed in Hobart.

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The Proteas have risen to fifth place with their victory over India, while Pakistan has dropped to sixth place. New Zealand is ranked second, while teams like Sri Lanka, West Indies, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Ireland have maintained their positions. These teams are ranked seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth, in that order.

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Australia’s next Test visit will be to Pakistan, where they will play a three-match series. If the tour goes forward, it will be the first time an Australian team has visited Pakistan since 1998. India, on the other side, will host a two-match series against Sri Lanka. In the World Test Championship, the 2019-21 finalists are ranked fifth with four wins, three defeats, and two draws in ten games for a win percentage of 49.07. Australia, on the other hand, is comfortably second with four victories and one draw in five games with a win percentage of 86.66.