India Lead In ODIs, T20Is In ICC Annual Rankings, Australia Top In Tests

The International Cricket Council (ICC) issued the annual team rankings update on Friday, with Australia taking the top spot in Test cricket and India maintaining supremacy in both white-ball formats. Reigning ICC World Test Championship winners Australia have overtaken India to secure the top spot in whites on the back of their stunning 209-run triumph over India in the World Test Championship decider at The Oval last year, as per ICC.

It helped improve Australia's rating to 124 points, four clear of their closest rival and last year's World Test Championship runners-up India (120) and 19 points clear of third-placed England (105).

It is the only change at the top of the Test rankings, with South Africa (103), New Zealand (96), Pakistan (89), Sri Lanka (83), West Indies (82) and Bangladesh (53) remaining unchanged in spots between fourth and ninth.

The rankings update only takes into consideration teams' performances after May 2021, with India's impressive 2-1 series triumph over Australia under skipper Virat Kohli that finished in January of 2021 dropping out of the rankings period.

All results between May 2021 and May 2023 are then weighted at 50 per cent and the ones in the following 12 months - that includes Australia's World Test Championship final victory - then weighted at 100 per cent.

While India (122 points) may have lost the top spot on the Test team rankings, they do remain out in front in both white-ball formats and have increased their lead at the head of proceedings in ODI cricket to six rating points over Australia (116), despite a loss to the Men in Yellow in the final of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 following a 10-match win streak.

Third-placed South Africa (112) closed the gap on Australia to just four