Cricket World Ratings 25th April 2021

Bangladesh's tour of Sri Lanka has begun with a high scoring draw.  For Sri Lanka, this is their third successive drawn match, following two draws in the West Indies (which took them above their hosts in my ratings).  More interestingly, perhaps, these three draws have come in successive tests by played any team - and it's the first time three such tests have been drawn in sucession since 2011, reflecting the fact that in the modern game, usually one side manages to force a win.  The effect on my world ranking is fairly minimal, but the failure to win at home is enough for them to drop back below the West Indies in the order:

1. India         266     
2. New Zealand   208 
3. England       184
4. Australia     177 
5. Pakistan      108 
6. South Africa   60  
7. West Indies    18
8. Sri Lanka      12 -16
   
9. Bangladesh   -140 +16    
   
10. Zimbabwe     -251   
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
12. Ireland      -338

There's one more test to come in this series shortly, which coincides with Pakistan's first test on their forthcoming tour of Zimbabwe.

Cricket World Ratings 7th April 2021

 Sri Lanka have just undertaken a two-match tour of the West Indies; both games played out as draws, something increasingly rare in modern test match cricket. In my world ratings, West Indies came into the series with the slightly higher rating, and had home advantage; the two draws have been enough to cause them to swap places.  My ratings 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. Sri Lanka      28 +12
   
8. West Indies    18 -12
   
9. Bangladesh   -156    
   
10. Zimbabwe     -251   
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
12. Ireland      -338

The official ratings tell a  mostly similar story, with the positons of Australia and England the only departures from the pecking order:

1. India         120 +2
2. New Zealand   118
3. Australia     113
4. England       106 +1
5. Pakistan       90
6. South Africa   89 
7. Sri Lanka      83  
8. West Indies    81 +1 
9. Bangladesh     51 
10. Zimbabwe       29 

 Sri Lanka are in action again shortly, this time at home, with Bangladesh their visitors.