Team India slipped to No 3 on the latest ICC rankings for Tests following their 1-3 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. India have lost six out of the last eight Tests played and have gone on to lose the 12--year unbeaten streak in Test series at home, Border-Gavaskar Trophy after 10 years and a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the first time in history. India's wretched form in Tests has coincided with South Africa pulling off seven wins in a row including three consecutive 2-0 series victories.
India began the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in second place but ended up winning just one out of the five matches against Australia, that too in the beginning in Perth. Australia won three matches in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney and extended their reign at the top with 126 rating points. India's batting apart from a few individual performances remained largely abysmal with Jasprit Bumrah being the only one pulling the team's weight through five Test matches. Bumrah took 32 wickets in the series but it wasn't to be for India.
On the other hand, South Africa, after sealing the 10-wicket victory against Pakistan in Cape Town moved to second place with 112 rating points and India are in third with 109.
England are in fourth place with 106 points, followed by New Zealand in fifth with 96. The Kiwis after beating India 3-0 to achieved their first-ever away Test series win in the World Test Championship (WTC) history, went on to lose to England 1-2 and didn't really improve their ranking. Sri Lanka, who have a final assignment remaining in the current cycle against Australia at home, are in sixth spot with 87 points.
With home Test summers coming to an end for Australia and South Africa, both teams qualified for the WTC final. The Proteas ended the cycle at the top of the pile with a PCT in excess of 69. Australia are currently in second place with a PCT of 63.73. Unless anything outrageous, Australia should stay in the second spot even if they lose 0-2 to Sri Lanka.
