India stay at No.1, South Africa remain in No. 2

Dubai: India continued to sit atop the tree in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings following the latest update on Tuesday 1 May, with South Africa at No.2 and Australia at No.3, release by icc-cricket.com

Not only that, with the results from 2014-15 being removed from the equation and those from 2015-16 and 2016-17 being weighted at 50 per cent, India have actually stretched their lead over South Africa from four to 13 points.

In another major development, Bangladesh have moved above the Windies to No.8, pushing the one-time dominant force in the game to No.9 for the first time.

Elsewhere, Australia have gained four points to get to 106, pushing New Zealand down from No.3 to No.4, even though New Zealand earned themselves $200,000 for being in third place at the last cut-off date on 3 April. India and South Africa, meanwhile, got $1 million and $500,000 respectively.

For India, who played four Tests in the 2014-15 season – losing 2-0 in Australia – and had earlier lost the five-Test tour of England 3-1 in the summer of 2014, the move up was expected following an excellent run since, highlighted by the 10 wins in 13 Tests in the 2016-17 season.

By the time the next annual update comes in, Afghanistan and Ireland will have joined the existing 10 teams to make a it a 12-team table.

Ireland are due to play their first Test against Pakistan in Malahide, Dublin, from 11 to 15 May while Afghanistan’s first Test will be against India in Bengaluru from 14-18 June.

ICC Test Ratings as on: 01-May-2018