Australia replace India at top of Test rankings

Coach Langer pleased with progress but insists that Kohli's side remain the benchmark

Steve Smith celebrates after Australia retained the Ashes in England last summer. Getty 

Australia have replaced India at the top of the International Cricket Council's Test rankings.

The annual update of the table, which removes points accrued in 2016-17 and gives greater weighting to more recent results, puts Justin Langer's team back on top spot for the first time in four years.

Australia's elevation over India, who slip to third behind New Zealand, comes despite their last away series win coming over the Black Caps in February 2016. England lie fourth in the rankings.

Last summer saw Langer's side retain the Ashes in England after a superlative series from batsman Steve Smith, who was back in the team after completing a 12-month ban for ball-tampering.

Australia also top the Twenty20 table ahead of hosting the format's World Cup, still scheduled for October but under threat from coronavirus, while England's victory in last year's 50-over World Cup ensures they remain at the summit in one-day cricket. Eoin Morgan's men have climbed to second in T20s.

"We recognise how fluid these rankings are, but at this time it was certainly nice to put a smile on our faces," Langer told Cricket.com.au.

"We've got lots of work to do to get to be the team that we want to be, but hopefully over the last couple of years not only have we performed well on the field, but also off the field.

"You can only judge yourself as being the best if you beat the best and we've got some really tough opposition to come. Certainly a goal for us has been the World Test Championship ... but ultimately, we have to beat India in India and we've got to beat them when they come back [to Australia]."

Langer, though, is adamant Virat Kohli’s India, which lost 2-0 in a recent series against New Zealand, remain the team to beat in Test cricket.

“I said in my first conference as coach we will know we are a great team if we can beat India in India,” Langer said.

“That is certainly a great goal for us. We know they are so tough to beat, so only then will we really know we can claim the No 1 spot.

“The last time we played India here they beat us for the first time in [a series in] Australia, so we will be determined to beat them when they come back.”

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Player ratings from 2019 Ashes series