Australia unseats India from top spot in ICC Test rankings

Australia has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings following the annual update, which removes results from the 2020-21 season and includes all series played since May 2021.

Australia is now top of the table with 124 points. India are second on 120 points. England are third on 105 points. South Africa, with 103 points, is the fourth team with more than 100 points.

India's drop in the rankings is due to the removal of their 2-1 series win in Australia in 2020-21.

The teams ranked between third and ninth remain in the same order. There are currently only nine countries in the rankings because Afghanistan, Ireland, and Zimbabwe have not played enough Tests. Zimbabwe has played just three Tests in the last three years. A team must play eight Tests over a three-year period to be included in the Test rankings.

However, India continues to lead the ODI and T20I rankings following the annual changes that give 50% weighting to matches played before May 2023 and 100% weighting to matches played thereafter.

Despite losing to Australia in the final of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, India now lead the ODI rankings by six points with 122 points. There are no changes to the top 10, but Ireland are now 11th, ahead of Zimbabwe.

South Africa, in third place, have reduced their eight-point deficit to Australia to four points and Sri Lanka are just two points behind fifth-placed England.

In the T20I rankings, Australia has moved up to second, one place ahead of England but seven points behind India, who top the table with 264 points.

South Africa has moved up two places from sixth to fourth, just two points behind England. The West Indies are on 249 points, with only three points separating England and the West Indies. New Zealand (5th), like South Africa, have 250 points, although they are lagging behind.

86 nations have played at least eight T20I matches in the last three years to earn a place in the rankings. Greece, Mexico, Myanmar, and Turkey have played seven T20Is each and will be ranked after their upcoming matches.