The Virat Kohli-captained Indian team has retained its world No. 1 spot on the ICC Test Team Rankings following the annual update in which series results from 2013-14 are no longer included and outcomes from the 2015-16 series are weighted at 50 per cent, the ICC announced on Thursday.
The ICC said that while India lead South Africa by six points following the annual update, only nine points separate third-ranked Australia from seventh-ranked Sri Lanka, with ninth-ranked Bangladesh trailing eighth-ranked West Indies by six points.
India have moved to 123 points after gaining one point, however, second-ranked South Africa now have the table-toppers firmly within their sights after vaulting from 109 points to 117 points. This jump means the pre-update gap of 13 points has now been trimmed to just six points.
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While India and South Africa have made upward movements, Australia, England and Pakistan have headed in the opposite direction.
Australia have retained their third place but have plummeted from 108 points to 100 points, England has stayed in fourth position but have slipped to 99 points after conceding two points, whereas Pakistan have dropped behind New Zealand in sixth place after conceding four points to be on 93 points.
The swings for Faf du Plessis’s South Africa and Steve Smith’s Australia have come after South Africa’s 2-1 loss to Australia, and Australia’s 5-0 series win over England in 2013-14 have both been dropped for calculation purposes.
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Sri Lanka are seventh on 91 points (up by one), West Indies eighth on 75 points (up by five), Bangladesh ninth on 69 points (up by three) and Zimbabwe 10th with zero points (down by five).
ICC Test Team Rankings:
Rank Team Points
1. India 123 (+1)
2. South Africa 117 (+8)
3. Australia 100 (-8)
4. England 99 (-2)
5. New Zealand 97 (+1)
6. Pakistan 93 (-4)
7. Sri Lanka 91 (+1)
8. West Indies 75 (+5)
9. Bangladesh 69 (+3)
10. Zimbabwe 0 (-5)
