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ICC Test Rankings, and why the tables don't show India on top
Rankings Info From ICC Website
Post From ICC Official Facebook Page
India regained the number one ranking after completing a crushing 178-run win in the second Test against New Zealand at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The win gave the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series and also gave them enough rating points to displace Pakistan from the top of the ICC Test ladder. But what has baffled connoisseurs of the game is that the ranking charts on the International Cricket Council (ICC) site still hasn't updated and shows Pakistan as the number one Test team currently. Here, we try and dispel those doubts and a few more as to how the ranking system works.
India is number one, but the ICC ranking doesn't reflect it
As noted in the ICC as well as on the Cricbuzz site, the rankings change from Tests to Tests, but it is notified officially only at the conclusion of a Test series. India entered the home series against New Zealand in the second place, trailing Pakistan by a single rating point. They needed to win the series by two clear Tests to go ahead of the arch-rivals, which they did by completing clinical victories in Kanpur and Kolkata. As such, they have gained enough rating points to get ahead of Pakistan, by a single rating point. Though India is now the official number one ranked Test team, they will be notified only at the end of the series against New Zealand. But there's a caveat though, which leads us to the next question.
What happens if India lose the third Test?
Simple, India fall back to the second spot. A 2-1 series result will mean India finish the series with 111 points, level with Pakistan on points, but behind them on decimal fractions. A draw will result in India finishing the series with 113 points, two points clear of Pakistan, while a win will help Virat Kohli-led men finish with 115 points, four clear. Pakistan will then have to complete a 3-0 whitewash to hold onto their position. Anything less than that will see India reclaiming the number one spot.
How can Pakistan get back to number one spot?
Lady luck has to shine for Pakistan to reclaim the lost number one spot in the ICC table. First, they must hope that India stumble and lose the Indore Test. That would put Pakistan temporarily at the number one spot. They should then go on to complete a 3-0 whitewash against West Indies. Anything less than that will see India back at the top - at least until the Tests in November.
How are the rating points decided?
The ICC has a three to four-year cycle to rate teams according to their performance in Tests. The weightage is given according to two periods of Tests - First, the immediately preceding last couple of years and two, the Tests played in the previous block of one to two years.
The annual updates are made every May, with the oldest of the results in the four-year cycle being replaced every calendar year, in May. (Let us assume, May, 2016 as an example when the rankings are updated. It means that the results in 2012 will be gradually removed and will be replaced by the results of the matches that are to be played in the following 12 months, until May, 2017)
So which series gets the highest weightage?
The first cycle of two years (ie. the games played in the earliest two-year cycle) will get 50 percentage weightage. On the other hand, the subsequent series, those that have been played in the past one or two years receives a weightage of 100 percent. Series completed since the May revision will also be weighed at 100 percent.
Will teams gain any extra points for winning series?
Yes, a team will gain an extra point for every series won. Let us take the example of the current ongoing India-New Zealand series. If India end up with a 2-0 final result, they gain another point for the series win and will be considered as an extra Test played and won.