In late August, England came from behind against Australia to win one of the closest test matches of all time, securing victory with their last pair at the wicket. Since then, 12 test matches have been played. All 12 have been won by the team batting first. The first six were won by at least 135 runs; the last 6 have all been won by over an innings. A close test match is a wonderful sporting event, a contest in which two teams battle for five days in pursuit of victory. But it’s increasingly noted that we don’t seem to get close matches anymore; moreover, the last eight games have all ended in home victories. The three most recent games have seen India complete a 2-0 win over Bangladesh, and Australia and New Zealand begin their home series against Pakistan and England respectively with a win.
My cricket world ratings currently look like this:
India 259 +1
New Zealand 176 +16
Australia 170 +11
England 135 -16
Sri Lanka 113
South Africa 111
Pakistan 69 -11
West Indies -22
Bangladesh -126 -2
Zimbabwe -252
Afghanistan -295
Ireland -339
India 259 +1
New Zealand 176 +16
Australia 170 +11
England 135 -16
Sri Lanka 113
South Africa 111
Pakistan 69 -11
West Indies -22
Bangladesh -126 -2
Zimbabwe -252
Afghanistan -295
Ireland -339
I'm still waiting for the official ratings to update to include the results from the India-Bangladesh series. Coming up next: the series in Australia and New Zealand continue, while the West Indies travel to Afghanistan (whose inaugural test win, over Ireland, is one of those 12 recent big victories) to play a single game.
