ICC Rankings: Australia become number one Test team after annual update

Australia became the number one Test team in the world after the International Cricket Council (ICC) issued the annual update on Friday.

Australia’s impressive 209-run win over India in the World Test Championship final at The Oval last year helped them overtake their opponents in the rankings.

India (120) are in second place, four points less than Australia, meanwhile England (105) are in third spot on the ICC Test rankings.

South Africa (103), New Zealand (96), Pakistan (89), Sri Lanka (83), West Indies (82) and Bangladesh (53) remaining unchanged in positions between fourth and ninth.

“The rankings update only takes into consideration teams' performances after May 2021, with India's impressive 2-1 series triumph over Australia under skipper Virat Kohli that finished in January of 2021 dropping out of the rankings period,” the ICC said in a press release.

“All results between May 2021 and May 2023 are then weighted at 50 percent and the ones in the following 12 months - that includes Australia's World Test Championship final victory - then weighted at 100 percent.”

There is no change in the ODI rankings with India increasing their lead at the top to six rating points over Australia (116).

Third-placed South Africa (112) have reduced the gap with Australia to four rating points, while Pakistan (106) and New Zealand (101) are also in the top five.

Sri Lanka (93) in seventh place are only two points behind England (95), with Bangladesh (86), Afghanistan (80) and West Indies (69) other teams in the top 10.