ENG v IND 2018: 5-0 clean sweep against England won’t affect India’s No. 1 Test ranking

India with 125 points is the number one ranked Test side currently.

Team India are 0-2 down in the five-match Test series against England | Getty

Team India are looking down and out in the ongoing five-Test series against England, losing the first Test at Edgbaston by 31 runs and followed it up with an innings and 159 runs defeat at Lord’s. Considering the way the No. 1 ranked Test side capitulated in the second Test, cricket fans and experts have already started about murmuring about the 5-0 whitewash.   

Seven years ago, MS Dhoni and his men had conceded their numero uno Test team tag after being whitewashed (4-0) by Andrew Strauss-led England team. And now everyone fears the same for Virat Kohli and company.

However, India’s ranking on this occasion is not under threat even if they suffered a 5-0 drubbing. Such is the dominance of Kohli’s team at home and in the subcontinental conditions that they will continue to hold the No. 1 position in ICC Test rankings.

Currently, India are placed at the pinnacle with 125 points while South Africa, who were recently whitewashed 2-0 by Sri Lanka in a Test series, hold the number two spot.

O the other hand, England are currently ranked number five with 97 points. And if they manage to clinch the series 5-0 against India, they will leapfrog to the number two spot on the table.

Trent Bridge will host the third Test between England and India from Saturday (August 18), while the third and fourth Test will be played at Southampton (August 30-September 3) and The Oval (September 7-September 11) respectively.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 14 Aug, 2018

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