ICC Test Rankings: India Regain Top Spot After Nearly Five Years
India, who lost their top ranking to England after their 0-4 whitewash in 2011, got back to the pinnacle by virtue of their crushing 3-0 series win against the Proteas at home, last December.
The Indian Test team led by Virat Kohli on Saturday climbed to the top of the ICC Test Rankings after South Africa crashed to a 0-2 series defeat against England in Johannesburg.
India, who lost their top ranking to England after their 0-4 whitewash in 2011, got back to the pinnacle by virtue of their crushing 3-0 series win against the Proteas at home, last December.
India now have 110 ranking points and have one point more than Australia, who are second in the list with 109 points in their kitty. South Africa are now third in the rankings.
The joy of reaching top spot for India can be shortlived if Australia win their home Test series against New Zealand by a 1-0 margin as the Aussies will then displace Kohli and Co. from the numero uno position.
South Africa have not won a Test match for more than a year with their last victory coming against the lowly West Indies. Even if they beat England in the fourth Test at the Centurion, they would not improve from their third position. Since January 2015, the once formidable South Africans have lost five out of their 9 Test matches along with four draws. Hashim Amla has quit Test captaincy and AB de Villiers is mulling retirement from the longer format.
England's next Test assignment will be in May against Sri Lanka, followed by a series against Pakistan at home in July.
Pakistan will be in the fourth place while New Zealand drop down to sixth place in the latest ranking chart set to be released on Monday.
Sri Lanka, West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe maintain their seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th place in the table respectively.