Series sweep will make Black Caps No 1
At a glance
Barely five months since New Zealand climbed to No 2 in the test rankings for the first time, a remarkable ascent to the top of the cricket world is within their grasp.
Kane Williamson led his side into the two-test series against Sri Lanka yesterday with a potential world No 1 spot beckoning if they can win both tests in Galle and Colombo.
According to the International Cricket Council’s rankings calculator, a 2-0 series sweep would lift New Zealand past current leaders India to 115 points and the No 1 ranking for the first time.
It’s no elementary task for the Black Caps who haven’t won a 1. India 113 points
3. South Africa 108
4. England 105
5. Australia 98
7. Pakistan 84
8. West Indies 82
9. Bangladesh 65
10. Zimbabwe 16
test series in Sri Lanka since their first visit 35 years ago in 1984. On their previous tour in 2012 it ended 1-1 when they lost in Galle then won in Colombo thanks to the Trent Boult-tim Southee double act.
The Black Caps sit second on the rankings on 111 points, two behind India who open a two-test series against West Indies in the Caribbean next week.
If New Zealand swept Sri Lanka they could potentially be No 1 on the charts for just a week. If India beat West Indies 2-0 they retain top spot, but a 1-0 win wouldn’t be enough to hold off the Black Caps if they managed a 2-0 win in Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lankans sit sixth on the rankings after their shock 2-0 win in South Africa in February, having lost their most recent home series 3-0 to England in November.
A drawn series against Sri Lanka, 0-0 or 1-1, would see New Zealand lose two points but remain second ahead of South Africa. But a series defeat, either 1-0 or 2-0, would see the Black Caps potentially slip to fourth behind England.
The first test at Galle signalled New Zealand’s first match of the new World Test Championship where points are up for grabs in each test in three home and three away series over the next two years. The top two sides will meet in the inaugural final at Lord’s in June, 2021.
The world test rankings – which are separate from the Test Championship – reward series victories, with teams earning more points when they win away, or against a team ranked higher. New Zealand next face England (home), Australia (away) and India (home) in a tough summer of test cricket.
New Zealand arrived in Sri Lanka off the back of five successive test series victories, four of them at home. Their climb to second spot happened when they beat Pakistan 2-1 in the United Arab Emirates in December.
With their 2-0 series win over Bangladesh in March, Williamson’s side ensured second spot on the rankings for the first time along with a US$500,000 (NZ$770,000) bonus for ending the season in that position, behind India.
ICC world test rankings:
2. New Zealand 111
6. Sri Lanka 94