ICC Apologises for Test Ranking Mess-Up, India Lose No 1 Rank in Matter of Hours

Pat Cummins-led Australia team continued to remain the world’s top-ranked Test team, after the International Cricket Council (ICC) apologised for briefly and ‘erroneously’ listing India as number one. Rohit Sharma’s Indian team hammered Australia by an innings and 132 runs in the first Test in Nagpur, and on Wednesday the ICC showed the hosts as taking over at the top of the Test rankings.

The ICC subsequently clarified that Australia were in fact still number one in Tests. India top the T20 and one-day rankings. “The ICC acknowledges, for a short period of time on February 15, 2023 that, due to a technical error, India were erroneously displayed as the No.1 Test team on the ICC website,” it said. “We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

The second Test of the Border-Gavaskar (Trophy) starts on Friday and India will have history on their side at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium where they haven’t lost a Test since 1987.

ICC Test Ranking

1.30pm IST - India No.1 Ranked.

7pm IST - Australia No.1 Ranked
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Ye kya ho raha hai @ICC #iccranking pic.twitter.com/erV313Xhjs

— Bharbhuti ji (@crickdevil) February 15, 2023

India had dislodged the Pat Cummins-led Australia, according to an ICC update in the afternoon. Already the top T20 side, India had reached the number one spot in ODIs last month after beating New Zealand 3-0.

However, after the latest update in the evening, India have moved back to the second spot behind Australia in Test rankings. India (115) are 11 rating points behind Australia (126) in the Test rankings.

Among individuals, India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin jumped to the second spot in the Men's Test Bowlers Rankings following his eight-wicket show against Australia in Nagpur.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who made a successful comeback after almost five months due to a knee injury, has moved up to the 16th position, courtesy his player-of-the-match winning effort in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series-opener. The spin duo haunted Australia in the first Test between by sharing 15 wickets between them as India won by an innings 132 runs inside three days.

Ashwin ensured India wrapped up a stunning victory before tea on the third day, as the veteran off-spinner took 5/37 in the second innings to go with 3/42 earlier in the match.

(with PTI inputs)