Second spot, money at stake for Oz
Visitors will have to fight hard to retain 2nd spot in ICC rankings, win $500,000
For Australia, it is not just the Border-Gavaskar Trophy that is on the line at Dharamsala in the fourth Test against India starting Saturday.
Steven Smith’s boys will also have to battle hard to stay second on the ICC Test ranking table and pocket the $500,000 cash prize. South Africa are breathing down their neck, hoping to dislodge them ahead of the April 1 cut-off date. FIGHT FOR TOP SPOT While Virat Kohli’s India are assured of the top spot and the $1 million cash award irrespective of the outcome at Dharamsala, the fight is essentially between Australia and South Africa for the second and third place in the rankings.
Australia need at least a draw in the fourth Test against India to maintain their second rank. South Africa can finish second
only if Australia lose in DhaClarke ramsala and the Proteas either win or draw the last Test against New Zealand in Hamilton which also gets underway on Saturday.
As per the ICC, the thirdplaced team on April 1 will receive $200,000 while the fourthplaced team, which will be England, will pocket $100,000.
The Test team rankings, unlike the ODI and T20I rankings, are updated after the end of a series.
If South Africa manage to pip Australia in the Test rankings, it will be a double blow for Steve Smith as South Africa had
IF SA MANAGE TO PIP AUSTRALIA IN THE TEST RANKINGS, IT WILL BE A DOUBLE BLOW AS SA HAD SNAPPED THEIR NO. 1 ODI RANKING
snapped their No. 1 ODI ranking earlier this month with a 3-2 series win in New Zealand.
The Australian team was written off by several pundits before they arrived in India for the four-Test series.
However, the visitors have given a tough time to Virat Kohli’s men in the first three Tests.
India were routed in the first Test in Pune on a rank-turner but they fought back to salvage victory from a precarious position in Bangalore.
The third Test in Ranchi ended in a draw, with Australia salvaging honour with some solid batting from Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb, who batted out 62 overs on Day 5 to deny India what looked like an improbable victory.