India have retained their number-one ranking on the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings following the annual update in which series results from 2013-14 are no longer included and outcomes from the 2015-16 series are weighted at 50 per cent.
Second ranked South Africa are behind by six points. Australia, which lost the series to India, are 23 points adrift of the table toppers. Only nine points separate Australia from seventh ranked Sri Lanka. West Indies are ranked eighth while Bangaldesh ninth and Zimbabwe tenth.
India have moved to 123 points after gaining one point, however, second-ranked South Africa now have the table-toppers firmly within its sights after vaulting from 109 points to 117 points.
While India and South Africa have made upward movements, Australia, England and Pakistan have headed in the opposite direction.
Australia have retained its third place but has plummeted from 108 points to 100 points. England have stayed in fourth position but have slipped to 99 points after conceding two points, whereas Pakistan have dropped behind New Zealand in sixth place after conceding four points to sit on 93 points.
The swings for Faf du Plessis’s and Steve Smith’s sides have come after South Africa’s 2-1 loss to Australia, and Australia’s 5-0 series win over England in 2013-14 have both been dropped for calculation purposes.
Sri Lanka are seventh on 91 points (up by one), West Indies eighth on 75 points (up by five), Bangladesh ninth on 69 points (up by three) and Zimbabwe 10th with zero points (down by five).
MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings (as on 18 May, following the annual update)
Rank Team Points
1 India 123 (+1)
2 South Africa 117 (+8)
3 Australia 100 (-8)
4 England 99 (-2)
5 New Zealand 97 (+1)
6 Pakistan 93 (-4)
7 Sri Lanka 91 (+1)
8 West Indies 75 (+5)
9 Bangladesh 69 (+3)
10 Zimbabwe 0 (-5)
