Australia in danger of losing number one spot in Test
Apr 6, 2019 at 2:16 PM
Australia are in danger of losing their number one Test ranking after they were thrashed by Sri Lanka in the second match of the three-match Test series at Galle. The visitors had already lost the first Test and the latest defeat has now thrown open the race for the number one spot in Test cricket with England, India, and Pakistan all in contention. After the series loss, the Aussies will lose seven points as per ICC’s Test ranking predictor.
Currently with 118 points, the team from down under leads second-ranked India by only 6 points. They are followed by Pakistan(111) and England(108).
Even a victory in the final Test at Colombo will not ensure them the number one spot and they will have to rely on other results to hold on to their top rank. Meanwhile, if Australia fails to win the final Test and Pakistan manages to draw the ongoing four-match Test series against England, then the Asian team will reach the pinnacle of Test cricket for the first time since the introduction of rankings while a series win for England will see them reclaiming the number one spot. A series win for Pakistan will see them reach the top irrespective of Australia’s result. The four-match series is currently tied at 1-1 with the third Test being currently played at Edgbaston. If the Aussies win the final Test, then England will have to defeat Pakistan by a margin of 3-1 to claim the top spot.
As for India, they will have to win their remaining two matches in the Caribbeans to reclaim the number one position. After the draw in the second Test at Jamaica, the four-match series is currently led by the Indian team by 1-0. A 3-0 victory will see them leapfrog the Aussies irrespective of the result against Sri Lanka in the final Test.
Check out the latest ranking here.