DUBAI:
India has benefitted from the annual update of ICC Test Rankings as it gained four points and two places to occupy fourth in the latest chart issued today.
In the annual update, the results from 2011-12 have been dropped from the calculations and outcomes from the 2013-14 series weighted at 50 per cent. Thus, India’s heavy defeats against England and Australia in 2011-12 no longer count.
South Africa extended its advantage over Australia from six points to 22 points at the top of the ICC Test rankings following the annual update. Australia lost 10 points from the annual update while South Africa gained six.
The annual update has seen a reshuffle in the middle of the pack and now just three rankings points separate third-ranked New Zealand from seventh-ranked Sri Lanka. Prior to the annual update, the gap between the third and seventh ranked sides was seven points.
Fifth-ranked England and sixth-ranked Pakistan have slipped on the ladder after dropping five points apiece. This is due to England’s 4-0 win over India and Pakistan’s 3-0 clean sweep over England among other results in 2011-12 being dropped from the rankings calculations. (AGENCIES)