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.

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.

Cricket World Ratings 25th Feburary 2020

 

Only a few weeks ago, Joe Root scored his thrid successive first innings total of 190 or greater, and set England up for their sixth successive away win. In defeating India, England even went top of my world ratings.  They didn't make many second innings runs in that game, but it didn't matter. However, that poor second innings total began a series whereby each subsequent innings has been lower than the last, and now in two successive tests they have broken their record for their lowest first innings total in India.  In their latest game, they were defeated in less than 2 days in spite of whittling Inida out cheaply thanks to Root of all people taking 5-8 with the ball.  Overall, it was the 10th lowest scoring test match (excluding drawn games, which are generally only low scoring if time is lost due to bad weather) ever.  They could still draw the series, but it's hard to see them coming back from this defeat.  My latest world ratings see India clearly back on top:

1. India         254 +14    
2. New Zealand   208 
3. England       196 -14
4. Australia     177 
5. Pakistan      108 
6. South Africa   60
7. West Indies    30 
8. Sri Lanka      16  
9. Bangladesh   -156   
   
10. Zimbabwe     -251    
11. Afghanistan  -303    
12. Ireland      -338

Next week, the final game in the series is scheduled, while Zimbabwe begin a two-game visit to Afghanistan.

Cricket World Ratings 16th February 2021

West Indies narrowly managed to make it two out of two on their Bangldesh tour last week; but England, who had surprised everyone by winning their sixth successive away match at the start of their Indian tour, came crashing down to earth, wallopped by the home side who will fancy themselves to repeat the feat in the remaining two matches.  England's win had briefly taken them to the top of my world ratings, but it turns out to have been a brief stay, as India retake first place:

1. India         240 +14
   
2. England       210 -14   
3. New Zealand   208  
4. Australia     177 
5. Pakistan      108 
6. South Africa   60
7. West Indies    30 +16
8. Sri Lanka      16  
9. Bangladesh   -156 -16   
   
10. Zimbabwe     -251    
11. Afghanistan  -303    
12. Ireland      -338

The official world ratings have been updated also but these only reflect completed series, so only the series in Bangladesh yet counts:

1. New Zealand   118 
2. India         118 
3. Australia     113
4. England       108 
   
5. Pakistan       90
6. South Africa   89 
7. Sri Lanka      83  
8. West Indies    80 +3 
9. Bangladesh     51 -4
   

India and England resume next week.

Cricket World Ratings 9th February 2021

Three pretty good test matches have just been completed in the Indian subcontinent.  South Africa made a good attempt at chasing a large total in Pakistan, but ultimately fell short. West Indies pulled off an even more heroic run chase against Bangladesh.  And England won in India, benefitting from a crucial toss but making no mistakes to beat a team who recently won against all odds in Australia.  My ratings give a lot of credit for winning away from home; and in consequence, England (who have actually now won their last six away tests) go top, for the first time since a brief moment at the end of 2018.  As then, their lead is wafer thin; if they can manage to win not just one test, but the series, they will more fully deserve the honour.

1. England       226 +30 
2. India         224 -30   
3. New Zealand   208  
4. Australia     177 
5. Pakistan      108 +15
6. South Africa   60 +15  
7. Sri Lanka      16   
   
8. West Indies    14 +18   
   
9. Bangladesh   -140 -18   
   
10. Zimbabwe     -251    
11. Afghanistan  -303    
12. Ireland      -338

The official world ratings have been updated also but these only reflect completed series, so only Pakistan and South Africa are affected:

1. New Zealand   118 
2. India         118 
3. Australia     113
4. England       108 
   
5. Pakistan       90 +8
6. South Africa   89 -7
7. Sri Lanka      83  
8. West Indies    77 
9. Bangladesh     55 

The series in India (4 tests in total) and Bangladesh (just 2 tests) resume later this week.