India end year as top ranked Test team

India have ended the year as the No.1 ranked Test side after posting a 4-0 win over England in the five-match series.

The series win has helped India gain five points and they have moved to 120 points in the last Test team rankings update of 2016, 15 points ahead of second placed Australia.

In contrast, England, which had started the series tied with Australia on 105 points but was ahead on decimal points, have slipped from second to fifth position. England are now on 101 points, one point behind Pakistan and South Africa, who are both on 102 points each with Pakistan ranked third on decimals points. This means that four teams are now within four points of each other with the annual cut-off date of April 1, 2017 for the ICC cash awards not far away.

The side at the top of the rankings on April 1, 2017 will receive $1 million. The second-placed side will be awarded $500,000 while the third and fourth placed sides will receive $200,000 and $100,000 each. The ICC Test Team Rankings have seen an interesting year, with Australia, Pakistan and India holding the top ranking between 21 August and 11 October. 

The Virat Kohli-led side, which was awarded the ICC Test Championship Mace on 11 October following a 3-0 home series sweep over New Zealand, can’t be overtaken this year since the team rankings are updated only at the end of each Test series.

The next Test series to be completed is the ongoing one between Australia and Pakistan with the final Test slated in Sydney from January 3-7.