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Rediff Test rankings: Hard to dislodge Australia

September 07, 2010 08:38 IST

Losing a Test to Pakistan hurt, but Australia (73.7) continue to reign supreme in the Rediff Test Rankings; chiefly because the ranking scheme looks at a wider performance window than the ICC Reliance Mobile rankings.

We must stress that there is no 'perfect' ranking scheme. The ICC Reliance Mobile rankings use one kind of model, while the Rediff rankings use a different, but just as rigorous, formulation. Both methods have their pros and cons, although only one carries the 'official' tag. A cricket fan would probably like to look at both.

England (46.1) are resurgent and could zoom to the top if they win an away Ashes series. Pakistan (42.2) have climbed after impressive wins against Australia and England. A quick calculation indicates that Pakistan might have been ahead of England if they had won the tests at Sydney and Lord's; a Sydney win would have been especially invaluable because test cricket's greatest challenge is still to beat Australia in Australia.

India (64.1) too gain, because they managed to draw away in Sri Lanka ... which too is something that sides visiting Sri Lanka achieve rarely.

Table A updates the ratings after these results, and also England's 2-0 wins at home and away against Bangladesh, Australia's thumping 2-0 triumph away in New Zealand and South Africa's 2-0 away victory in the Caribbean.

  • Check ICC Test rankings

  • TABLE A: Final Rankings (as on Sep 6, 2010)
    Country Performance index (RBI) Diff: 16.3.10 -> 6.9.10 Rank
    Australia 73.69 -3.46 1
    India 64.06 +1.25 2
    South Africa 63.51 +0.63 2
    Sri Lanka 46.92 -1.01 4
    England 46.10 -1.11 5
    Pakistan 42.23 +5.58 6
    New Zealand 30.79 -0.94 7
    West Indies 28.39 -0.75 8
    Zimbabwe 13.06 +0.76 9
    Bangladesh 7.25 -0.06 10

    The current Reliance Mobile ICC Test rankings (as on September 6, 2010) are: India (127), South Africa (119), Sri Lanka (115), Australia (113), England (112), Pakistan (83), West Indies (79), New Zealand (78), Zimbabwe (12?) and Bangladesh (7).

    The current home-away points tally of Test-playing teams is shown in Table B.
    --     How the rankings work...

    TABLE B: Test Score Card (as on Sep 6, 2010)
    A W A Y
    Aus Ban Eng Ind NZ Pak RSA SL WI Zim
    H

    O

    M

    E    		 Australia 2 / 2
    2 / 2
    		 2 / 5
    5 / 5
    		 1 / 4
    2.5 / 4
    		 2 / 2
    2 / 2
    		 1 / 2
    3 / 3
    		 2 / 3
    1 / 3
    		 3 / 3
    2 / 2    		 2.5/3
    2.5 / 3
    		 1 / 1
    2 / 2
    Bangladesh 0 / 2
    0 / 2
    		 0 / 2
    0 / 2
    		 -
    0 / 2
    		 0 / 1
    0.5 / 2
    		 0 / 3
    0 / 2
    		 0 / 2
    0 / 2
    		 0 / 3
    0 / 2
    		 2 / 2
    0 / 2
    		 0.5 / 2
    1.5 / 2
    England 0 / 5
    3 / 5
    		 2 / 2
    2 / 2
    		 0.5 / 2
    1 / 3
    		 2 / 3
    2.5/3
    		 0.5 / 3
    3 / 4
    		 2 / 4
    1.5 / 4
    		 1 / 3
    1.5 / 3    		 2 / 5
    2 / 2
    		 1 / 2
    2 / 2
    India 1.5 / 4
    3 / 4
    		 2 / 2
    -
    		2 / 3
    1.5 / 2    		 2 / 3
    1 / 2
    		 1 / 3
    2 / 3
    		 1 / 3
    1 / 2
    		 1.5 / 3
    2.5 / 3
    		 2.5 / 4
    2.5 / 3    		 2 / 2
    2 / 2
    New Zealand 0 / 2
    0 / 2
    		 1.5 / 2
    1 / 1
    		 0.5/3
    1 / 3
    		 1 / 2
    1 / 3
    		 0 / 1
    1.5 / 3
    		 0 / 2
    1.5 / 3
    		 0 / 2
    1 / 2
    		 1.5 / 2
    1 / 2
    		 2 / 2
    0.5 / 1
    Pakistan 0 / 3
    1 / 2
    		 2 / 2
    3 / 3
    		 1 / 4
    2.5 / 3
    		 1 / 3
    2 / 3    		 1.5 / 3
    1 / 1
    		 1 / 3
    0.5 / 2
    		 0.5 / 3
    1 / 2
    		 1 / 2
    2.5 / 3
    		 2 / 2
    1 / 3
    South Africa 2 / 3
    1 / 3
    		 2 / 2
    2 / 2
    		 2.5 / 4
    2 / 4
    		 1 / 2
    2 / 3
    		 1.5 / 3
    2 / 2
    		 1.5 / 2
    2 / 3
    		 0 / 2
    2 / 2
    		 2.5 / 3
    2 / 3
    		 1 / 1
    2 / 2
    Sri Lanka 0 / 2
    0 / 3
    		 2 / 2
    3 / 3
    		 1.5 / 3
    2 / 3
    		 0.5 / 3
    1.5 / 3
    		 1 / 2
    2 / 2
    		 1 / 2
    2.5 / 3
    		 0 / 2
    2 / 2
    		 1 / 2
    2 / 2    		 2 / 2
    3 / 3
    West Indies 0.5 / 3
    0.5/3
    		 2 / 2
    0 / 2
    		 0 / 2
    3 / 5
    		 0.5 / 3
    1.5 / 4
    		 1 / 2
    0.5 / 2    		 0 / 2
    1 / 2
    		 1 / 3
    0.5 / 3
    		 0 / 2
    1 / 2
    		 1.5 / 2
    2 / 2
    Zimbabwe 0 / 2
    0 / 1
    		 0.5 / 2
    1.5 / 2
    		 0 / 2
    1 / 2
    		 0 / 2
    0 / 2
    		 0.5 / 1
    0 / 2
    		 2 / 3
    0 / 2
    		 0 / 2
    0 / 1
    		 0 / 3
    0 / 2
    		 0 / 2
    0.5 / 2

    Table C summarizes the home-away series win record of all the nine Test playing countries and Zimbabwe. Note that this table lists statistics relating to Test series, not individual Test matches. So although England defeated Pakistan 3-1 at home, it is counted as one home series win for England and one away series loss for Pakistan.

    TABLE C: Series 'win-draw-loss' record (with 'home'-'away' break-up)
    (as on Sep 6, 2010)     | *No India-Bangladesh series so far in India
    Country No of home wins No of away wins Total wins No of home draws No of away draws Total draws No of home losses No of away losses Total losses
    Australia 8 6 14 0 1 1 1 2 3
    Bangladesh 1 1 2 0 0 0 8 7* 15*
    England 6 2 8 1 2 3 2 5 7
    India 6* 5 11* 2 1 3 0 3 3
    New Zealand 1 2 3 5 1 6 4 5 9
    Pakistan 5 2 7 2 2 4 2 5 7
    South Africa 7 6 13 1 2 3 1 1 2
    Sri Lanka 7 2 9 1 4 5 1 3 4
    West Indies 2 2 4 2 1 3 5 6 11
    Zimbabwe 1 1 2 1 1 2 7 7 14

    Our next update will appear after India's home series against Australia.

    • M J Manohar Rao, Srinivas Bhogle