‘A joke’: Glaring flaw with Australia’s No. 1 Test rankings

Australia has reclaimed the No. 1 spot on the ICC Test rankings for the first time since May 2020, but the accolade raised a few eyebrows.

Australia's players celebrate with the Ashes trophy. (Photo by William WEST / AFP)

Australia is once again the best team in the world, apparently.

Following their comprehensive 4-0 Ashes triumph, the Aussies have reclaimed the No. 1 spot on the ICC Test rankings for the first time since May 2020, but the accolade was met with plenty of scepticism.

Pat Cummins’ side thumped England in the five-match series, with one wicket in Sydney the only thing stopping the hosts from clinching the dreaded Ashes whitewash.

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On Thursday, the ICC confirmed that Australia had leapfrogged India and New Zealand, the reigning World Test Champions, into top spot on the ladder.

Cummins remains the world’s No. 1 Test bowler, having taken 21 wickets at 18.04 against England, while Aussie No. 3 Marnus Labuschagne still sits on top of the batting rankings.

However, New Zealand could reclaim the coveted No. 1 spot if they muster a 2-0 series whitewash of South Africa in their upcoming home Test series.

“Before the (T20) World Cup and before the Ashes, we’ve never ever been better prepared, so it’s not a coincidence I don’t think that we’ve had the success that we’ve had,” Australian coach Justin Langer said last week.

“Whatever happens from now on, we can all be incredibly proud of this little period. We had two missions — to win the World Cup and to win the Ashes.

“To do that in such a short period is a monumental effort and we’re all really satisfied with that, we’re all really happy about that, we’re all really, really proud of that.”

ICC Test team rankings

1 — Australia, 119

2 — New Zealand, 117

3 — India, 116

4 — England, 101

5 — South Africa, 99

6 — Pakistan, 93

7 — Sri Lanka, 83

8 — West Indies, 75

9 — Bangladesh, 53

10 — Zimbabwe, 31

Australia celebrates after winning the fifth Ashes Test. Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images

Australia’s ascendancy to Test glory is worth celebrating, and it would be particularly validating for coach Justin Langer, who has endured an arduous 12 months in the role — but the accolade seems somewhat unjustified considering the team’s poor record away from home.

The men’s Test side has not won an away series in nearly six years, the most recent being a convincing 2-0 whitewash of the Black Caps in New Zealand in February 2016.

Australia’s last Test series triumph outside Oceania came against the West Indies in June 2015 — Michael Clarke was captain, Brad Haddin donned the gloves, and Adam Voges scored his maiden international century in Roseau.

The authenticity of the ICC rankings system comes into question when the top side has not recorded a single away series victory during the eligible four-year period.

Australia’s most recent away Test series wins

vs New Zealand – February 2016

vs West Indies – June 2015

vs South Africa – March 2014

vs Sri Lanka – September 2011

vs Bangladesh – April 2006

vs India – November 2004

vs England – August 2001

Even on home soil, the Aussies haven’t been at their destructive best, losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy twice in three years, most recently against an undermanned Indian outfit at the impenetrable Gabba fortress.

Covid-19 certainly hasn’t helped their cause — since the pandemic started, Australia has postponed two away Test series against South Africa and Bangladesh due to health concerns.

Australia has not played any away Test cricket since the unforgettable 2019 Ashes series — but superstars David Warner and Steve Smith have travelled to the sub-continent three times for Indian Premier League commitments in the last 18 months.

This is called World Class in Australia. Zero away victories and yet ranked #1 test team by @ICC 🤣😂 https://t.co/By4e9g0oog

— Vaitheeswaran K (@vaitheek) January 20, 2022

Australia are apparently the No 1 ranked side in Test cricket. Number of away series played by Australia since 2019 Ashes: 0. ICC rankings continue to be a joke.

— Venkata Krishna B (@venkatatweets) January 20, 2022

Away Test matches since October 2019

17 — England

14 — India

13 — Pakistan

10 — West Indies

8 — Bangladesh

8 — New Zealand

8 — Sri Lanka

7 — South Africa

3 — Afghanistan

3 — Zimbabwe

0 — Australia

There’s no denying Australia was superb this summer — they outclassed England in every facet of the game — but the ultimate challenge for Cummins and his comrades awaits them in 2022.

Over the coming 12 months, the Test side is scheduled for three sub-continent tours to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India. Australia has only won one Test series in Asia since 2006.

Speaking to reporters at the SCG on Friday, Australian paceman Josh Hazlewood said the Aussies needed to prove they could get the job done away from home when the Pakistan tour begins on March 3.

“To continually win games away from home, we jag one here and there, but we ultimately normally lose a series away from home,” he said.

“I think every Test team around the world has been a bit that way over the last five or six years; continually winning away from home is a huge goal for us now.”