India's top position shaky after Galle defeat

A series defeat for India by a margin of more than one Test will catapult Sri Lanka to the top of the world rankings, and prevent India’s seven-month perch at the top of the tree. If India are to retain the top ranking despite a series defeat, they must not lose by more than a one-match margin – either 0-1 or 1-2 – according to the predictor on the International Cricket Council’s official website.

Currently, India are on top of the table with 124 rating points, clear of South Africa (120), Australia (119) and Sri Lanka, who are fourth with 115 points. If Sri Lanka win by a 2-0 margin, they will gain six rating points and move to 121, while India will drop four points and fall to 120. If Sri Lanka sweep the series 3-0, they will gain seven points and climb to 122, while India will slip to the third position at 119 points. Any other series scoreline will keep India at the helm.

Should Sri Lanka replace India at the top of the standings by the end of the series, the irony will not be lost on anyone. It was their victory against Sri Lanka in Mumbai last December which catapulted Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men to the helm, a position they have held following a 2-0 series triumph in Bangladesh and a hard-fought 1-1 draw against South Africa at home

The irony will also extend to the fact that, just like India, Sri Lanka haven’t won Test series in either Australia or South Africa, though unlike India, they haven’t come close to even winning a Test match in those two countries. Furthermore, while India haven’t won a series in Sri Lanka since 1993, the Emerald Islanders haven’t so much as sniffed a Test victory on Indian soil.

Of course, the complicated nature of the rankings system in place is such that it is difficult to understand exactly how teams climb up and down the charts, except for the fact that teams stand more to gain for victories over sides that are above them on the table.
Sri Lanka, it must be pointed out, will not become the number one side even if they win the second Test, because the ICC Test Championship table is updated only at the end of the series and not after every single match.

Interestingly, only on Thursday, Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara had obliquely questioned India’s status as top dogs. “Rankings need to be fair,” he had said. “A fair FTP (Future Tours Programme) is the way forward. If rankings can’t be understood by playes and the public, then what’s the use of it? The ICC should consider playing a Test Championship. Once every two years, each side should play all opposition at least once, either home or away. That’s a fair deal when it comes to Tests.”

Whether he will question the fairness of the system should Sri Lanka ascend the throne is another matter altogether. Dhoni’s team will be hoping Sangakkara doesn’t have to answer that question, for that will mean their tenuous reign at the top continues. At least for now.