India placed second in annual ICC Test rankings

India placed second in annual ICC Test rankings
India are second in the latest ICC Test Rankings with 112 rating points - 6 points behind toppers Australia.

By: PTI | New Delhi | Updated: May 3, 2016 6:12 pm

India Tets rankings, India Test, India Australia, India Australia Test, India Test rankings, ICC Test rankings India are placed second in the ICC Test rankings in the latest annual update. (Source: AP)

Australia has opened up a six-point gap over India at the top of the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings following the annual update with the results from 2012-13 no longer included in the calculations and outcomes from the 2014 15 series weighted at 50 per cent.
According to a media release issued by ICC, India now leads third-placed Pakistan by just one point. Pakistan has benefitted from the annual update as defeat against South Africa by 3-0 in 2012-13 no longer counts, while the 2 0 loss to Sri Lanka in 2014-15 has its weighting reduced to 50 per cent.

The annual Test update has resulted in South Africa dropping from third position to sixth after conceding 17 points. This is due to South Africa’s victories over England, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan in 2012-13 all being dropped from the rankings calculations.
The annual update has also affected the West Indies, which has retained its eight position but has dropped from 76 points to 65 points. This is because its victories over New Zealand, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in 2012-13 have all been dropped from calculations.

The gap between the West Indies and ninth-ranked Bangladesh has been slashed from 29 points to just eight points.

With Sri Lanka and Pakistan visiting England this summer for three and four Tests respectively, Australia traveling to Sri Lanka in July for three Tests and South Africa hosting New Zealand in August for two Tests, the series outcomes may well result in significant movements on the MRF

Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings.

Some of the key series results from 2012-13, which are no longer in calculation include: West Indies v New Zealand (WI won 2-0); England v South Africa (SA won 2-0); Sri Lanka v New Zealand (1-all draw); Australia v South Africa (SA won 1-0); India v England (Eng won 2-1); South Africa v Pakistan (SA won 3-0); India v Australia (Ind won 4-0); New Zealand v England (0-0 draw).

Some of the key series results from 2014-15, which are now reduced from 100 per cent to 50 per cent, include: England v Sri Lanka (SL won 1-0); West Indies v New Zealand (NZ won 2-1); England v India (Eng won 3-1); Sri Lanka v Pakistan (SL won 2-0); West Indies v Bangladesh (WI won 2-0); South Africa v West Indies (SA won 2-0); Australia v India (Aus won 2-0); West Indies v England (1-all draw).

We really do need to find a way to overhaul these Test rankings. Even more reason to start a Test Championship featuring two groups which makes it easy to determine where each team ranks.

India are ranked second, but over the last 2 years, they lost away series in England (1-3) and Australia (0-2), and drew a one-off Test match in Bangladesh. There only series wins came against Sri Lanka (2-1) and a 3-0 home win against the hapless South Africans.

Based on win/loss ratio over the last two years, the standings would be as follows:

1. Australia
2. Pakistan
3. New Zealand
4. England
5. Bangladesh
6. India
7. South Africa
8. Sri Lanka
9. West Indies
10. Zimbabwe

If you were to stretch it back further to include the results from the last three years, the rankings would be:

1. Australia
2. Pakistan
3. New Zealand
4. England
5. India
6. South Africa
7. Sri Lanka
8. Bangladesh
9. West Indies
10. Zimbabwe

I think that is a pretty fair representation and just about where I would rank the Test sides, though I would flip-flop England and New Zealand. Either way, there is no way India are deserving of being ranked second.