Crushing series win helps ‘proud’ India leapfrog vulnerable Aussies to become world No.1

India have climbed to the number one spot in Test cricket rankings following an emphatic 4-1 series victory against England.

The Indian team moved past Australia who are now second in the table, according to the rankings released by the International Cricket Council late Saturday.

India lost the opening Test against England before bouncing back to win the remaining four matches, including the final game which ended in Dharamsala on Saturday.

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In January, India had slipped to second place in Test rankings after a drawn 1-1 series against South Africa.

Australia overtook India at the top after sweeping the three-Test series at home against Pakistan.

Currently Australia lead the two-Test series against New Zealand 1-0 following their 172-run victory in Wellington.

India will remain at the top regardless of the outcome of the second New Zealand-Australia Test in Christchurch.

India are already the number one team in one-day and T20 internationals. They are also at the top of the ICC World Test Championship Standings table.

India last lost a home Test series in 2012 when Alastair Cook’s England beat the hosts 2-1, but Rohit’s team looked vulnerable after their opening loss by 28 runs in Hyderabad.

Missing their top stars, including the absence of Virat Kohli due to the birth of his second child, the team triumphed nonetheless.

India bounced back to win four in a row, sealing the series victory in Ranchi and thumping England during the final match in Dharamsala.

“I think just the fact that we lost the first Test match, had to bounce back from there, had to do it with a slightly different team to the one that we probably expected to start the series with a few months ago,” India coach Rahul Dravid told reporters.

“It does make you feel really proud and happy for the way the team’s evolved, the team’s grown and just happy for the boys.”

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, 22, led the batting total for both sides with 712 runs — including double centuries in matches two and three — to be named man of the series.

Spinners, after taking a beating in the first Test, came back roaring, with Ashwin reaching 500 Test wickets in Rajkot and finishing with a match tally of nine in his landmark 100th five-day game in Dharamsala.

— AFP