India Become World No. 1 Side Across Formats After Claiming Top Spot In Test Rankings

India overtook Australia with their massive win over the Kangaroos in the opening Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

India's players shake hands with Australia's cricketers after India's win in the third day of the first Test cricket match between India and Australia at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Nagpur on February 11, 2023.

Source : AFP

After a massive win over Australia in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, Team India have secured the number 1 position in the ICC Test Rankings. Consequently, they are now the top-ranked team in the world in all the three formats of the game- Tests, ODIs and T20Is. 

While India have 115 points in Test matches, Australia are now second with 111 points. England are placed third on 106 points. India's innings and 132-run win over the Kangaroos also means huge improvement in the rankings of their spin duo- Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja- who took a total of 15 wickets in the Test match. While Ashwin is now close to taking the number 1 position in the longest format of the game in the bowling rankings, Jadeja, returning from a long injury layoff also moved up in the rankings.

While the off-spinner scalped a fifer in the second innings, the left-arm spinner had produced a five-wicket haul in the first innings before also scoring a half-century. Even though it is Australia's Pat Cummins who is currently the number 1 ranked bowler in Test cricket, Ashwin is only trailing behind by 21 rating points.

India captain Rohit Sharma also saw him rise in the batters' ranking as he now sits at the eigth position post a superb hundred under testing conditions in Nagpur. He was previously ranked 10th. The official website of the International Cricket Council (ICC), meanwhile, has said that West Indies spinner Gudakesh Motie has taken 19 wickets in Two Test matches against Zimbabwe which has helped him jump 77 places to take the 46th place only after Three Test matches.

As far as the Test team rankings are concerned, Australia would want to bounce back with three Test matches remaining in the series. However, the hosts would also want to continue the momentum and clinch the series by as dominating a margin as possible. The result of the series will be crucial in deciding the World Test Championship final of the second season.