South Africa stays second in Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship
Sri Lanka was breathing down India ’s neck after a 2-1 series win over its Asian neighbours while South Africa retained its second place in the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship after defeating England by an identical margin on Monday.
Sri Lanka leapfrogged England into fourth place and is now just one ratings point behind third-placed India as the series result earned Mahela Jayawardena’s side five points but cost Anil Kumble’s men four ratings points.
Sri Lanka now sits on 108 ratings points after starting on 103 while India has slipped to 109 after entering the series on 113.
As Sri Lanka will not play any more Tests until May next year, it will pin its hopes on Australia to put it ahead of India . Ricky Ponting’s side will travel to India in October for a four-Test series and if it wins the series 3-0, Kumble’s men will drop behind Jayawarden’a side by one ratings point.
However, if India beats Australia by a similar margin, it will leapfrog South Africa into second place on 118 ratings points and will trail Ricky Ponting’s side by just nine ratings points.
India can further reduce that gap to seven points if it wins the two-Test series against England later this December as a 2-0 win will take it to 120 ratings points against Australia ’s 127.
South Africa retained its second place in the championship table after earning one ratings point for its 2-1 victory over England which dropped two ratings points and slipped to 104, four behind third-placed Sri Lanka and four ahead of sixth-placed Pakistan .
South Africa will now play Bangladesh in a two-Test series in November and a 2-0 win will earn it one ratings point.
Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship (as of 11 August, after the conclusion of Sri Lanka – India and England – South Africa series)
Rank Team Rating
1 Australia 138
2 South Africa 116
3 India 109
4 Sri Lanka 108
5 England 104
6 Pakistan 100
7 New Zealand 83
8 West Indies 81
9 Bangladesh 0
ICC MEDIA RELEASE