Team India escalates to number one spot in both Tests and ODIs for the first time

When Manish Pandey hit the winning runs in the Indore ODI between India and Australia, the men in blue registered their third win in the 5-match series. With the win, they managed to get an unassailable lead of 3-0 against the Aussies in the series. Well, the series win was not the only incentive that the team got with the win.

They managed to escalate to the number one spot in the ICC ODI rankings with the win. They toppled the South African team to grab the top spot. Incidentally, the Virat Kohli-led team India is also at the pinnacle of the ICC Test rankings. They stand firm in their lead in the Test rankings at the moment with a superlative run in the longest format of the game in the last couple of years.

Considering the ODIs, the team has notched up 9 consecutive wins now. This equals their previous best winning streak of 9 ODI wins which they had achieved under the leadership of MS Dhoni almost a decade ago. Interestingly, this is the first time in the history of the game when team India has managed to take the top spot in both ICC ODI rankings and the ICC Test rankings.

Australia’s poor numbers

The rankings system was introduced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) way back in 2002. The Indian team has 120 rating points to their name after their win in Indore ODI. They are one point ahead of the South African team. Meanwhile, Australia manage to be at the third spot. Talking about the stats on Australia’s defeat, the loss in the Indore game was the 11th consecutive overseas defeat for the Aussies in the ODIs.

Commenting on the third format of the game, the T20Is, the Indian team is placed on the fifth position in the list. Team New Zealand top the table and are followed by Pakistan, West Indies, and England. India will take on New Zealand in T20I series when the Kiwis visit India next month.