Sri Lanka narrows gap with South Africa

Sri Lanka has narrowed the gap with the number-one ranked South Africa to just two points in the International Cricket Council Test Championship after winning the two-Test series against New Zealand at the SSC ground in Maitland Place yesterday.

Sri Lanka’s 202 runs victory in the first Test at the Galle International Stadium and their 96-run win at the SSC ground has earned them a crucial ratings point which has put the team on 120 points just two points behind South Africa and one ahead of third-placed India.

Such is the competitive nature of Test cricket that only six ratings points separate the Proteas from Australia. And with all the top four teams to resume action in the longer version of the game immediately after next month’s ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa, a reshuffling of the pack is definitely on the cards.

The first Test series after the ICC Champions Trophy is West Indies’ tour to Australia for three Tests, followed by Sri Lanka’s tour to India, England’s tour to South Africa for four Tests and a three-Test tour by Pakistan to Australia.

This gives both India and Sri Lanka the first shot at the number-one spot as the first Test between South Africa and England starts after the conclusion of the Test series in India which, according to the Future Tours Programme, is likely to start in November. While Sri Lanka will need to win the series to go top of the table, India will have to win 2-0 to topple South Africa.

While Sri Lanka’s commanding performance in its international series has put them in sight of the top spot, New Zealand has retained its seventh position in the rankings but has conceded two ratings points to lead eighth-placed West Indies by just four rating points and trailed sixth-place Pakistan by the same margin.

(C.D.)