India's convincing win in the second Test match against New Zealand means they will leapfrog Pakistan at the summit of the International Cricket Council's five-day rankings.
India took the attack to the opposition on day four to skittle them out for a total of 197, giving the home side a 178-run victory in Kolkata. This was enough for India to overtake arch-rivals Pakistan in the rankings.
Pakistan’s ratings after their victory against England was at 111 while India, after their victory in the first Test in Kanpur was 110. With this victory, India are set to overtake their arch-rival and reclaim the number one position in the rankings.
Pakistan next play the West Indies in a three-match Test series on October 13 by which time India would have played out their series against New Zealand. This gives India a chance to go further ahead of Pakistan and consolidate their position at the top.
India had earlier topped the Test rankings when they won a four–match series against the Windies 2-0 but Pakistan’s draw against England in a four-match series was enough for them to overtake India.
Although they started on a rocky note, India went on to dominate the first Test match against New Zealand in Kanpur, incidentally their 500th match in the longer format. India defeated the visitors decisively by 197 runs. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson opted to sit out of the second Test and India continued in the same vein, and set up a target of 376 runs that proved to be insurmountable for the visitors.
India and New Zealand now play their third and final Test in Indore. Following the ODI and T20I series against New Zealand, India resume their Test season when they host England for a gruelling five-match series starting from November.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
