India in Test cricket continues to surge upwards following the 321-run win over New Zealand in Indore, one that officially puts them at No 1 in the ICC rankings.
India had reclaimed the top spot after victory in Kolkata last week but their appointment as the top team in Test cricket was confirmed when Virat Kohli received the ICC Test Championship mace from Sunil Gavaskar at the Holkar Stadium on Tuesday.
This victory extends India’s series-clinching streak under Kohli to four in a row, following wins over Sri Lanka, South Africa and West Indies.
For the record, since Kohli took over as captain full-time after MS Dhoni retired in December 2014, India have won ten, drawn five and lost only one Test match. And of those draws, three were severely hit by bad weather.
This is the second time in a little over a month that India have been at No 1, and the third time under Kohli’s captaincy.
The first time they went to No 1 was in mid-January, when the ICC updated its rankings following England’s 2-0 win in South Africa.
India, by virtue of beating South Africa 3-0 at home in December 2015, moved one point ahead of Australia. However, the joy was short-lived as weeks later Australia beat New Zealand and reclaimed top spot.
Times of India