The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : India misses chance to regain second spot

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 23, 2006

Sport

Sport - Cricket

India misses chance to regain second spot

Dubai: India forfeited the chance to replace England from the second spot on the LG ICC Test championship table after Andrew Flintoff led his side to a series-equalling win against the host in the third and final Test in Mumbai.

A draw or an Indian win, which would have sealed a series victory for the home side after its earlier win in Mohali, would have catapulted Rahul Dravid's side ahead of the tourist.

But England's success means the series ended 1-1 and has ensured it remains the nearest challenger to the leader Australia.

England has 113 rating points in the Test championship table, 16 points behind Ricky Ponting's team, while India is a further two rating points back on 111.

India did hold second spot in the table for just over a month from mid-December when it overtook England, thanks to a combination of its own 2-0 series win against Sri Lanka and England's 2-0 loss in Pakistan.

But its 1-0 series loss to Pakistan earlier this year dropped it back down the table to third and the defeat in Mumbai means it has missed the chance to regain the second spot.

An India win in Mumbai would have sealed a 2-0 series win and taken it to 115 rating points while dropping England to 110, while a draw would have given India a 1-0 success, lifted it to 114 and seen England slip to 111 rating points.

India's next chance to gain rating points in the table is its four-Test series against the West Indies that starts in June. Ahead of that, England's next Test action starts in May when it faces Sri Lanka in a three-match series.

LG ICC Test championship (Team rating): 1. Australia 129; 2. England 113; 3. India 111; 4. Pakistan 108; 5. New Zealand 100; 6. South Africa 99; 7. Sri Lanka 97; 8. West Indies 73; 9. Zimbabwe 27; 10. Bangladesh 4. — UNI

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