Cricket World Ratings 14th March 2021

 Afghanistan were admitted to test cricket in 2018.  Since then, they have played just 6 matches: a new team is not necessarily the top attraction for other sides, and most of those games have been against other test minnows.  Nonetheless, they don't have such a bad record; following their latest win (leading to a drawn series) against Zimbabwe, they now have won half of their games.  In my test ratings, they still occupy a position well towards the bottom; but they are slowly climbing up the rankings, which now look like this:

1. India         266     
2. New Zealand   208 
3. England       184
4. Australia     177 
5. Pakistan      108 
6. South Africa   60
7. West Indies    30 
8. Sri Lanka      16  
9. Bangladesh   -156    
   
10. Zimbabwe     -251 -23   
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 +23   
    
12. Ireland      -338

The next test is due at the end of the month with Sri Lanka touring the West Indies.

Cricket World Ratings 6th March 2021

 A few short weeks ago, England were racking up nearly 600 runs (and Joe Root was making a score of over 180 in a 3rd successive test match), en route to winning their sixth consecutive away test and taking a 1-0 series lead over India.  That series is now over, India have won 3-1, and England have since recored 7 consecutive scores of 205 or less.  On some tricky pitches, the Indian spin bowling has clearly been superior, but it's the failure of England's batting which is most apparent (although of course the consistency of the Indian bowling has certainly applied the pressure). India finish the series clearly on top of my world rankings; and have qualified for the inaugarual World Test Championsip final, a new event for which qualification is calculated slightly differently to the official world rankings (such that at the start of this series, either England or, more likely, Australia, could have made it at India's expense.  New Zealand, runners-up in the last two one-day World Cups, are already there.

Meanwhile, Afgahnistan have played a rare test; but were easily rolled over by their visitors Zimbabwe.  My world ratings now look like this:

1. India         266 +12    
2. New Zealand   208 
3. England       184 -12
4. Australia     177 
5. Pakistan      108 
6. South Africa   60
7. West Indies    30 
8. Sri Lanka      16  
9. Bangladesh   -156    
   
10. Zimbabwe     -228 +23   
    
11. Afghanistan  -328 -25   
    
12. Ireland      -338

In the official ratings, India displace New Zealand on top:

1. India         122 +4
   
2. New Zealand   118
   
3. Australia     113
4. England       105 -3 
   
5. Pakistan       90
6. South Africa   89 
7. Sri Lanka      83  
8. West Indies    80 
9. Bangladesh     51
   

Afghanistan get another chance against Zimbabwe next week.