India Dethrone Australia as No.1 Test Side Ahead of WTC Final 2023
Team India under Rohit Sharma's leadership (Twitter)
Ahead of the all-important World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2023, the Rohit Sharma-led Team India have gone past Australia in the ICC Test Team's Rankings to bag the Numero Uno Spot, following annual rankings update and reflecting the results of all series completed since May 2020.
As per the ICC, the annual rankings consider the weightage completed before May 2022 weighted at 50 per cent and all subsequent series at 100 per cent. Meaning Australia's mighty wins over Pakistan and New Zealand in 2019/20 wasn't kept in the calculation. Meanwhile, ICC's new rules have also left out India's series loss in New Zealand (in 2020-21).
Before the annual rankings update, Australia were sitting at the first spot with 122 points, followed by India (with 119 points) and England (with 106 points). However, after the upgradation, India see itself topping the table with 122 points, followed by Australia (116) and England (114) in the second and third position, respectively.
There are no more changes in the ICC Test Team Rankings.
Rohit Sharma's India will face second-placed Australia in the WTC Final starting June 7 at the Oval. Following the pinnacle match, the Pat Cummins-led unit will stay in the United Kingdom to be at loggerheads with Ben Stokes' England in the Ashes 2023.
 "Arjun Bhalla")
