India remain third in ICC Test Rankings

Dubai:

India might have clinched a historic Test series triumph over New Zealand but the team did not gain from it in the ICC rankings, remaining static at the third spot in the latest list issued on Tuesday.

Rain and stubborn New Zealand resistance led by centurion Ross Taylor prevented India from gaining a point and keeping up the pressure on South Africa, the side directly above it in the Test Championship table.

The eighth-placed Kiwis, in fact, ended up gaining a point for managing two draws.

When rain forced the players off the field 20 minutes after lunch in the third and last Test in Wellington, New Zealand had its back against the wall struggling at 281-8 after India had set the home team an unlikely target of 617 runs to win.

If India could have forced a win it would have given it a 2-0 series triumph and helped it retain its pre-series 118 ratings points, just one behind the second-placed Proteas, and 10 behind leaders Australia.

But a draw meant Dhoni's men had to be content with 117 points, two away from South Africa and 11 adrift of Australia.

India had entered the series knowing it had to win all the three Tests to gain the one point which would have put it level with South Africa on 119 ratings points but behind Graeme Smith's side by a fraction of a point.

However, it squandered that opportunity when it dug in deep in Napier to force a draw after it had been forced to follow on.

India had started the series with a difference of 37 ratings points relative to eighth-placed New Zealand and this gap meant it was expected to win the series convincingly.