India's recent seven-wicket victory in Cape Town might have drawn their two-match series in South Africa, but it led to their displacement from the top spot in the ICC Test rankings, which was taken over by Australia.
Australia's dominant performance in the ongoing series against Pakistan, where they secured an unassailable 2-0 lead, propelled them back to the No. 1 position in Test cricket. The third match of the series is currently in progress in Sydney.
The ICC highlighted Australia's remarkable home record against Pakistan as the key factor in their return to the top spot. Despite India and Australia having the same 118 rating points in the previous update, the drawn series for India against South Africa led to Australia surpassing them in the rankings.
Australia's ascendancy to the top ranking adds another accomplishment to their impressive year, which includes their triumph in the ICC World Test Championship Final and the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.
In the World Test Championship points table, India maintains their position at the top with 54.16 percentage points from four Tests, comprising two wins, one loss, and a draw. South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia follow closely, each with 50 percentage points in the WTC table.
The ongoing Test between Australia and Pakistan, along with the upcoming five-match Test series between India and England, are anticipated to bring further shifts in the Test Team Rankings, with the top spot and crucial ICC World Test Championship points at stake.
(With Agency Inputs)
