Top three in LG ICC Test Championship extend advantage in annual update as Australia sets new record high Jon Long August 1, 2005 Australia, England and India have all improved their ratings in the LG ICC Test Championship as a result of the annual update that took place today. Australia now has the highest Test rating since a new system of calculation was introduced in June 2003. Its rating of 133 is one higher that it was before the update and it can improve up to 138 if it beats England 5-0. Series played before 1 August 2002 no longer count towards the Test rankings.
England lost to Australia and India and drew with New Zealand during this period so the loss of these series from the calculation has helped England improve its rating by three points to 114. If it were to lose to Australia by the same 4-1 margin as in 2001 in the current series its rating would fall back to 111.
India lost three away series - to Sri Lanka, South Africa and West Indies - between 1 August 2001 and 31 July 2002. It therefore benefits by four points as a result of the update and its rating of 111 is the highest it has been since the new system came into force.
The ratings of the sides ranked fourth to seventh remain very tightly grouped. New Zealand is the main beneficiary from the update, climbing from seventh to fifth, while South Africa moves up from sixth to fourth despite its rating remaining unchanged on 100 points.
South Africa's ascent is due to the falling ratings of Sri Lanka and Pakistan, who have lost four and five points respectively.
At the bottom of the table the gap between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh is down to 24 points with Zimbabwe's rating falling by 11 points and Bangladesh picking up a point.
