India jumped one place to second on the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings table after winning the two-Test series against the West Indies 2-0 in Mumbai on Saturday.
India had started the series, which also brought the curtains down on Sachin Tendulkar’s illustrious career, in third position and a 2-0 win has put them in second position.
This sets up an interesting two-Test series between number-one ranked South Africa and India to be played next month in Johannesburg and Durban. India had needed to win the series against the West Indies to move up the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings table.
India’s innings and 126 runs win in the second and final Test has helped them gain three ratings points to end at 119 ratings points, three ratings points ahead of England.
In contrast, West Indies have retained their pre-series sixth-rank but has dropped four ratings points to finish at 95. West Indies are now six ratings points behind fifth-ranked Australia and seven behind fourth-ranked Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the ICC said the qualification pathway for the inaugural World Test Championship, to be hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board in 2017, will be through the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings, with the qualifying period being from May 1, 2013 to December 31, 2016.
The top four teams at the conclusion of the qualification period will qualify for the event in 2017. The results of any Test series ending after May 1, 2013 and the results of any Test series starting before December 31, 2016 will be included in the period that determine qualification for the ICC WTC.
