Cricket World Ratings 30th January 2018

India have been formidable at home over the past year and a half, but a tour of South Africa was always going to be tough: the team duly lost their first two matches, before restoring some pride (though with the series already lost) in a match played on a terrible pitch.  Adding in the result of the last game, India recover some of their previous rating (which had peaked at 212 in the autumn, but had fallen to 157 after their two defeats here) while South Africa fail to sustain the position above Australia they briefly took after their two victories.

India         174 +17
Australia     141
South Africa  129 -17
New Zealand    73
Sri Lanka      29
England        24
Pakistan      -27    
West Indies   -86
Bangladesh   -135
Zimbabwe     -322

The offical ratings are much less favourable to Australia (for reasons I'm not clear about, and already had South Africa ahead even before this series; the update (for the series as a whole) merely reduces the gap between whay were already considered the two best teams:

India        121 -3
South Africa 115 +4
Australia    104
New Zealand  100    
England       99
Sri Lanka     94
Pakistan      88  
West Indies   72   
Bangladesh    72  
Zimbabwe       1   

Tomorrow, Bangladesh begin a two test series against Sri Lanka (and remember, they won when they played in Sri Lanka last year).

Cricket World Ratings 18th January 2018

Recently, India's world rating has soared to its all-time high, but exclusely on the back of a brilliant set of results at home.  That's not nothing, but given the increasing role that home advantage seems to play in test matches, for the current Indian side to truly be considered among the all-time great teams, it needs to add some away success.  And its current tour of South Africa has, perhaps, exposed its limitations - the first two matches of the series have both been reasonably close games, but they've also both been lost by the visting side.  India have one game remaining to save some pride, and if they avoid defeat, will remain top of the rankings for now. But the winners of the series later this winter between South Africa and Australia will surely have a legitmate claim to be the best team in the world.

So with that one match left, here's how the ratings currently stand:

India         157 -20
South Africa  146 +20
Australia     141
New Zealand    73
Sri Lanka      29
England        24
Pakistan      -27    
West Indies   -86
Bangladesh   -135
Zimbabwe     -322

Cricket World Ratings 8th January 2018

In late 2016, many teams were vying for the title of "best team in the world". Since then, India have been dominant, although mostly at home.  Now, they have begun a tough tour of South Africa, which will provide evidence of just how good they really are.  And their first match has been lost, to a team which was beaten on their tour of England this summer, to an English team that has just been well beaten by Australia for the fourth time in five matches.  What can we make of all this? Above all else, that it's harder than ever to win test matches away from home.  And whichever of the current strong teams next manages to beat a major opponent in an away series might have a credible claim to being the best in the world.  Neither my system of rating teams, nor the offical system, takes account of whether matches are played home or away - maybe they should.

So here's how my ratings currently stand:

India         177 -23
Australia     141 +12
South Africa  126 +23
New Zealand    73
Sri Lanka      29
England        24 -12
Pakistan      -27    
West Indies   -86
Bangladesh   -135
Zimbabwe     -322

And here are the offical ratings, now incorporating the Ashes matches, but which won't integrate the results from South Africa until that series is over:

India        124
South Africa 111  
Australia    104 +7
New Zealand  100    
England       99 -6
Sri Lanka     94
Pakistan      88  
West Indies   72   
Bangladesh    72  
Zimbabwe       1   

The next match between South Africa and India begins on Saturday.

Cricket World Ratings 30th December 2017

Finally, after seven straight away defeats (and eight straight away defeats against Australia), England have managed not to lose a game, with Alastair Cook recovering form to make the major innings on a placid pitch in Melbourne; in the end, Australia had little trouble batting out for the draw.  Meanwhile, a one-match visit to South Africa by the Zimbabwe team has ended predictably in a home win.

The net effect on my world ratings is a small one:

India         200
Australia     129 -6
South Africa  103 +1
New Zealand    73 
England        36 +6
Sri Lanka      29    
Pakistan      -27    
West Indies   -86
Bangladesh   -135
Zimbabwe     -322 -2

The South African win, meanwhile, has had an even more marginal effect on the offical ratings, which now stand as follows:

India        124
South Africa 111
England      105 
New Zealand  100
Australia     97 
Sri Lanka     94
Pakistan      88  
West Indies   72   
Bangladesh    72  
Zimbabwe       1 -1

Cricket World Ratings 18th December 2017

 For England, it's over.  The Ashes have been conceded, after three straight defeats, to an Australian side that (at home at least) has proved itself manifestly superior.  While England have won four times at home on the trot, and once in Australia during this interval, in the three away series they have lost, the score is currently 13 played, 13 lost, which should give some food for thought.  All three games this year have gone into the fifth day; but in all three games, the victor was clear.  Another 5-0 drubbing appears on the cards.  And three times in about a year England have lost by an innings after scoring in excess of 400 in their first innings.  The vaunted England bowling attack, so unplayable at home, just doesn't appear to have what it takes when the ball isn't swinging.  It's true, home advantage has grown in test matches in recent years; but England's last 10 away matches have seen eight losses (including their first ever defeat to Bangladesh) and just one win (also against Bangladesh).  Something isn't right here. It's also interesting to think that when Pakistan last toured England little more than a year ago, both teams were vying for the position of "best team in the world". But both have had rude awakenings since.

Here's my current test world rankings, in which the new realities are quite clear:

India         200
Australia     135 +13
South Africa  102
New Zealand    73 
England        30 -13
Sri Lanka      29    
Pakistan      -27    
West Indies   -86
Bangladesh   -135
Zimbabwe     -320

Cricket World Ratings 13th December 2017

An easy second win for New Zealand over the West Indies has completes their series.  The Ashes series, between Australia and England, could be as good as over if Australia win the match starting in Perth today, even though there are still two matches to come, as the home team has two victories already to its credit.

India         200    
Australia     122   
South Africa  102    
New Zealand    73 +10  
England        43  
Sri Lanka      29   
Pakistan      -27    
West Indies   -86  -9   
Bangladesh   -135    
Zimbabwe     -320

And the official ratings look like this:

India        124
South Africa 111
England      105 
New Zealand  100 +3
Australia     97 
Sri Lanka     94
Pakistan      88  
West Indies   72 -3  
Bangladesh    72  
Zimbabwe       2 

I haven't  figured out exactly why the official ratings place Australia so poorly in comparison to mine, but if they continue the Ashes as they've started it, this will surely be corrected  in the near future.

Cricket World Ratings 6th December 2017

Three test matches have been played in the past week. In a match affected by severe pollution, Sri Lanka managed a second draw against India in their three-match series; India have secured a 1-0 series win.  The West Indies were well beaten by New Zealand.  And Australia took a 2-0 lead in the Ashes, and will be eyeing a possible whitewash against an England side that has had good results at home recently, but which appears ill-equipped to prosper down under.  My latest cricket ratings are as follows:

India         200 -10   
Australia     122 +14  
South Africa  102    
New Zealand    63 +10  
England        43 -14 
Sri Lanka      29 +10  
Pakistan      -27    
West Indies   -77 -10  
Bangladesh   -135    
Zimbabwe     -320

And the official ratings, now updated to include the India-Sri Lanka result, but not yet the two series still underway, look like this:

India        124 -1
South Africa 111
England      105 
New Zealand   97
Australia     97 
Sri Lanka     94
Pakistan      88  
West Indies   75  
Bangladesh    72   
Zimbabwe       2