DUBAI – India has ended 2016 as the number-one ranked Test side on the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings after registering a 4-0 victory over England in the five-match series which ended in an innings and 75 runs win for the home side in Chennai on Tuesday.
The series win has helped India gain five points, moving it to 120 points in the last Test team rankings update of 2016, 15 points ahead of Australia. This makes India the top-ranked Test team.
In contrast, England, which had started the series tied with Australia on 105 points but was ahead on decimal points, has slipped from second to the fifth position.
England is now on 101 points, one point behind Pakistan and South Africa, which are both on 102 points each with Pakistan ranked third on decimals points. This means that four teams are now within four points of each other with the annual cut-off date of 1 April for the ICC cash awards not far away.
The side at the top of the rankings on 1 April will receive $1 million. The second-placed side will be awarded $ 500,000 while the third and fourth-placed sides will receive $ 200,000 and $ 100,000 each.
The MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings have seen an interesting year, with Australia, Pakistan and India all holding the top ranking between 21 August and 11 October.
The Virat Kohli-led side, which was awarded the ICC Test Championship Mace on 11 October following a 3-0 home series sweep over New Zealand, can’t be overtaken this year since the team rankings are updated only at the end of each Test series.
The next Test series to be completed is the ongoing one between Australia and Pakistan with the third and final Test slated in Sydney from January 3-7.
MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings (as on 20 December, after the India v England series)
Rank Team Points
1 India 120 (+5)
2 Australia 105
3 Pakistan 102
4 South Africa 102
5 England 101 (-4)
6 New Zealand 96
7 Sri Lanka 96
8 West Indies 69
9 Bangladesh 65
10 Zimbabwe 05
Source– APP
