India strengthen top position in ICC Test rankings

DUBAI: With a crushing 2-0 series win, India on Wednesday not only consolidated its position at the top of ICC Test ranking table but also pushed Australia down to number five.


India, which came into the two-match series with 127 rating points, are now sitting pretty at 130 points, 11 clear of second-placed South Africa.

Australia had entered the series on 113 points and ended up conceding three ratings points, slipping to fifth position behind England (112).

Sri Lanka are placed third with 115 points. This is Australia's lowest ranking since the ICC Test Championship rankings were introduced in 2003.

However, Australia will have a chance to regain its fourth position when it goes head to head with England in a five-Test Ashes series which starts in Brisbane on 23 November.

India beat Australia by 7 wickets, win series 2-0

BANGALORE: India thrashed Australia by seven wickets in the second Test to make a clean sweep of the series and win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

Riding high on his first innings score of 207, batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar (53) and Rahul Dravid (21) scored an unbeaten 61 runs for the fourth wicket to see the team through. With that India won both Tests - the first by a wicket, and the second by seven wickets.

After the quick exit of dashing opener Virender Sehwag (7), Murali Vijay (37) and Test debutant Cheteshwar Pujara steered the Indian second innings with a 72-run stand for the second wicket.

Pujara scored a fluent 72 with seven fours before being bowled by off-spinner Nathan Hauritz.

Earlier, resuming at overnight 202 for seven, Australia's second innings folded up quickly with tail-enders perishing in a span of five overs.

Indian speedster Zaheer Khan packed off Mitchell Johnson for 11 and Peter George for a duck, caught behind by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, while pacer S Sreesanth bowled Ben Hilfenhaus for a duck.

Zaheer and spinner Pragyan Ojha took three wickets each, while Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh snared two each.

With a 17-run lead from the first innings, India began chasing 207, looking to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

In reply to Australia's 478, India made 495 in the first innings with Tendulkar scoring a double century

India won the first Test at Mohali by one wicket.

TOI

ICC approves creation of Test Championship

The International Cricket Council has approved the creation of a Test Championship and has also called for a creation of an ODI league.

During the ICC meeting held in Dubai, the following recommendations were approved by the ICC Chief Executives' Committee:

1. The FTP should consist of a Test league to provide context for all Test matches. The league would determine the top four teams to qualify for an ICC Test play-off

2. The play-off should be held once every four years to determine the Test champion team with a request to hold the first such play-off in 2013

3. The FTP should also consist of a One-Day International league, the first to run from April 2011 until April 2014, culminating in the crowning of an ODI league champion. This would run separate to the ICC Cricket World Cup

4. The ICC Cricket World Cup should consist of a 10-team format from 2015

5. The ICC World Twenty20 should consist of a 16-team format from 2012, with the women's event continuing to run alongside

6. The introduction of Twenty20 International rankings table as soon as this is justifiable.

The Board agreed that any discussion of performance-related ranking and the issue of qualification for ICC global events, including finding opportunities for Associate Members to play ODI cricket, should be considered by the ICC Governance Committee and a recommendation brought back to the Board.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: "Restructuring international cricket is a significant strategic challenge and one that must be dealt with. We have now agreed in principle to exciting and far-reaching proposals to tackle this most important issue.

"Achieving balance and unanimous agreement is not easy but we have responded well to a strategic priority to restructure international cricket. The proposals, especially introducing more meaningful context, means we now have the potential to follow international cricket that is even more exciting."

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011:

ICC chief Executive said he was happy with the progress made by the venues for the 2011 WOrld Cup.

Lorgat said: "We are pleased with the considerable progress made particularly in the areas of venue preparation and security."

"The ICC Cricket World Cup is the ICC's flagship event which will provide a showcase for some of the best players who have ever played this great game and it will also provide the world with a glimpse of the colour and passion for cricket that exists in the host nations.

"This is an exciting time for cricket. We have just witnessed two thrilling Test matches between India and Australia which have demonstrated the strength and the enduring appeal of the longest form of the game. We have some more mouthwatering contests such as the Ashes and India's visit to South Africa, the top two teams in the world, before the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011."

"Earlier this year we witnessed the West Indies stage a wonderfully successful ICC World Twenty20 and now we have the prospect of a truly spectacular ICC Cricket World Cup, the opening match of which will take place in Dhaka on 19 February when Bangladesh takes on India. To us, this demonstrates the viability and continued success of the three formats of our great sport."

Decision Review System:

Decision Review System (DRS)

The three host countries confirmed to the ICC Board that the Decision Review System (DRS) should be used in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka subject to ensuring the reliability of ball-tracking technology. The Board agreed that Hotspot technology would also be used in the semi-finals and final of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

Mr Lorgat said: "I have agreed with Cricket Australia to attend the Ashes matches between Australia and England with representatives of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to understand the successful application of the technology and its contribution to correct umpiring decisions."

The ICC Executive Board also agreed to explore sponsorship for the DRS and the revenues generated from this will be distributed among those Members who have pooled their rights, after costs have been deducted. Members who do not pool their rights will be free to exploit such rights themselves.
© ICC

Aussies slip to fifth place in Test rankings

Following the 2-0 clean-sweep by India in the 2-match Test series, the Ponting led Australian team has slipped to fifth place in the ICC rankings for Test teams.

India had entered the series ranked number one and even if they had lost both matches to the Australians, they would still have been ranked number one.

India entered the series with 127 rating points, and they now have 130 points following their series win.

South Africa, who are second in the ICC rankings, are on 119 points followed by Sri Lanka with 115 points and England who have 112 points.

Australia, who started the Test series against India with 113 points, lost 3 points following their losses.

ICC rankings for Test teams at the end of the India-Australia series:

Ranking	Team	Matches	Rating Points
1	India	34	130
2	South Africa	29	119
3	Sri Lanka	23	115
4	England	39	112
5	Australia	37	110
6	Pakistan	23	83
7	West Indies	21	79
8	New Zealand	25	78
9	Bangladesh	19	7