Cricket World Ratings 31st December 2016

The year comes to an end and England are in fre-fall, having lost their lost four tests, and six of their last eight, including a first ever defeat to Bangladesh.  In their subsequent series against India, the difference in class betweeen the two sides was clear: in the finall test, England made 477 in their first innings and started their second innings with a century stand and still lost by an innings, thanks to a triple century from Karun Nair in only his third test match.  The bowling of Ravindra Jadeja was another stand-out feature of the match (and series); for once, India's captain Virat Kohli was not needed to make a major contribtion.

Eleswhere, Australia have begun their home series against Pakistan with two wins, and likewise, South Africa have seen off Sri Lanka, confirming the pattern of the domianance of Asian teams at home and their relative weakness away. So the latest shape of my world ratings is as follows:

India         183  +9  
South Africa  116 +14  
Australia     109 +27 
Sri Lanka      42 -15   
New Zealand    41    
England        25  -9  
Pakistan       13 -28
West Indies   -58   
Bangladesh   -148    
Zimbabwe     -325

And the official ratings (now relecting India's win over England but not yet the other matches looks as follows):

India        120 +5
Australia    105
Pakistan     102
South Africa 102
England      101 -4
New Zealand   96
Sri Lanka     96
West Indies   69
Bangldesh     65
Zimbabwe       5 

A happy new year to all!

Cricket World Ratings 12th December 2016

 So, England, nearly top in the world ratings at the end of the summer, one draw away from having beaten every team in the world (at the series level) more recently than they'd lost to them, and now?  You can see from below that in my world ratings, it doesn't look good.  The official world ratings still flatter them for the moment, but a downward adjustment is coming soon.  A first-ever match loss to Bangladesh has been followed by three straight defeats to India, with just a draw in between.  Now India are a fine (and arguably improving) side, playing at home (although the conditions have been less spin-friendly than they might have been).  A defeat, in itself, is no shame (although obviously not the mark of world beaters).  I'd say just one thing: you don't need six bowlers in a test match.  No matter if you have a stack of fine seamers on turning pitches; no matter if your spinners are potentially unreliable; no matter if you've been struggling to find good batsmen.  It seems to me that England have made their own troubles worse by refusing to pick a conventionally balanced side.  The strategy didn't make sense to me (and didn't avoid defeat) in the U.A.E at the end of 2015; and it doesn't make sense now.  At least the promising performances of Hameed and Jennings hint at how England might fill the gaps in their batting order longer term.  But in this tour, one problem has surely been that they haven't been trying to fill enough gaps.

Meanwhile, hats off to India, who've outbowled and outbatted their visitors, in very convincing fashion, and who've now won six of their last seven tests.  It will now be interesting to see if this talented side can do what so many Indian teams of promise have failed to do in the past, and follow up success at home with similar success away.

India         174 +10 
South Africa  102    
Australia      82    
Sri Lanka      57    
New Zealand    41   
Pakistan       41    
England        34 -10  
West Indies   -58   
Bangladesh   -148    
Zimbabwe     -325

Cricket World Ratings 3rd December 2016

One match has been played in each of three test series since I last updated the blog.  Australia came back to win the dead rubber in their series against South Africa; New Zealand effected a remarkably rapid dismissal of Pakistan in the final session of the two teams' second game to secure a whitewash; while India completed their second successive defeat of England in a five match series they can now no longer lose (in theory, with two matches still to come, England could escape with a draw, although that would indeed be a rather remarkable case of escapology).  A few months ago, Australia, England and Pakistan were all among the teams vying for the position of the number one in the world; now, India seem to be fairly clearly on top, and remakrably, in my world ranking system, Sri Lanka have risen to fourth place, following their walloping of Australia and the subsequent struggles of many of their rivals. Here are rankings in full:

India         164 +12
South Africa  102 -20   
Australia      82 +21
Sri Lanka      57    
England        44 -12  
New Zealand    41 +19
Pakistan       41 -19
West Indies   -58    
Bangladesh   -148    
Zimbabwe     -325

And here are the offical ICC ratings (which don't yet take account of the India v England series, and which in general are more resillient in the face of recent results:

India        115
England      105
Australia    105 -3
Pakistan     102 -7
South Africa 102 +6
New Zealand   96 +5
Sri Lanka     96
West Indies   69
Bangladesh    65
Zimbabwe       5

Nonetheless, it's safe to say it will be a major surprise if England still hold second place after two more tests against India.