The battle for second place for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings, which had April 1, as the cut-off date, turned out to be a photo-finish between England and India on Tuesday.
In the end, the thrilling draw at Auckland in the third and final Test against New Zealand handed England the No.2 rank while India finished third. South Africa had already sealed their position as the No.1 ranked Test side, meaning they not only retained the Test mace but were also assured of prize money of $450,000.
England will receive $350,000 for finishing second and India would get $250,000 for securing third position.
England needed to win or draw the Auckland Test to secure the second position, whereas India not only needed to win the Delhi Test but also had to hope for a New Zealand victory. Had New Zealand won the series 1-0, India could have finished in the second position.
