Australia has opened up a six-point gap over India at the top of the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings following the annual update with the results from 2012-13 no longer included in the calculations and outcomes from the 2014-15 series weighted at 50 per cent.
According to a media release issued by ICC, India now leads third-placed Pakistan by just one point. Pakistan has benefitted from the annual update as defeat against SA by 3-0 in 2012-13 no longer counts, while the 2-0 loss to Sl in 2014-15 has its weighting reduced to 50%.
The annual Test update has resulted in South Africa dropping from third position to sixth after conceding 17 points.
The annual update has also affected the West Indies, which has retained its eight position but has dropped from 76 points to 65 points. This is because its victories over New Zealand, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in 2012-13 have all been dropped from calculations.
The gap between the West Indies and ninth-ranked Bangladesh has been slashed from 29 points to just eight points.