It's been a hard winter for England. Already well beaten by Australia in their quest to retain the Ashes, the team are now in New Zealand, where they've just lost the first test after being bowled out for a mere 58 runs in their first innings. A great result for the hosts, and an embarassing one for their visitors, who might need to ask some tough questions of themselves when they return to home soil.
As for Australia, a win in their first test in South Africa put them on course to potentially displace India at the top of my world rankings. Two succesive defeats have put paid to that, and the second of these was particularly controversial, as they were caught in an act of pre-meditated cheating, using sandpaper to damage the condition of the ball. Some old professionals believe this to be a storm in a teacup - all teams quietly manipulate the ball when they can, but to smuggle material onto the field for this express purpose crosses a line that has left many shocked. It's hard to defend, and three players, including both captain (the brilliant Steve Smith) and vice-captain have been sent home. With the side in disarray, it's hard to bet against the South Africans completing a series win in the final test.
So the world rankings currently look like this:
India 174
South Africa 150 +17
Australia 120 -17
New Zealand 87 +14
Sri Lanka 29
England 10 -14
Pakistan -27
West Indies -86
Bangladesh -135
Zimbabwe -322
And it's worth noting the South Africans have already beaten India this winter; a victory over Australia as well (albeit that both series are at home) will have made it a very succesful winter from their point of view.
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