Battle for second position on Reliance ICC Team Rankings goes down to the wire

The battle for second place on the Reliance ICC Test Championship Table at the 1 April cut-off date is heading for a close finish, in what is still a three-way race between England, Australia and India.

Number-two ranked England was held to a draw by New Zealand in Wellington as rain washed out play on the final day on Monday, leaving the series still deadlocked at 0-0. In Mohali, fourth-placed India defeated third-ranked Australia by seven wickets to take a 3-0 lead in the four-Test series.

With the Test Championship table to be updated only after the conclusion of the series, the three sides are separated by 13 ratings points with the final Tests in New Zealand and India scheduled to conclude on 26 March. When the Championship table will be updated, will also reflect results from the ongoing West Indies-Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka-Bangladesh series.

While England needs to win or draw the Auckland Test to secure second position, India and Australia not only need to win the New Delhi Test but also hope for a New Zealand victory in the Auckland Test. If New Zealand wins the series 1-0, then the team that wins the New Delhi Test will finish in second position at the 1 April cut-off date.

South Africa has already sealed its position as the number-one ranked Test side at the 1 April cut-off date, which means it has not only retained the Test mace but has also been assured of a reward of US$450,000.

But a further US$750,000 is still up for grabs. This money will be distributed to teams that will finish second (US$350,000), third (US$250,000) and fourth (US$150,000) on the Championship table at the cut-off date.

The increased incentive in the form of prize money was approved by the ICC Board in 2012 and was aimed to promote Test cricket in the period before the ICC Test Championship event in 2017.

To find out exactly how the forthcoming series will affect the Championship Table, please click here. The Test Championship table is updated after every series, unlike the ODI or T20I Championship tables, which are updated after every match.

Meanwhile, India has been assured of number-one ranking on the Reliance ICC ODI Championship Table on the 1 April cut-off date. India will now receive the ODI Shield as well as a cheque of US$175,000 for finishing atop.

South Africa, which could have toppled India had it won the series 5-0, now can finish second. But to make that happen, it will have to beat Pakistan in the remaining two ODIs. South Africa?s failure to win the last two ODIs will mean England will finish second and collect a cheque of US$75,000.

Upcoming Test fixtures

20-24 Mar - West Indies v Zimbabwe, Roseau (Dominica), second Test

22-26 Mar - New Zealand v England, Auckland, third Test

22-26 Mar - India v Australia, New Delhi, fourth Test

Reliance ICC Test Championship table (as on 18 March, to be only updated at the conclusion of a series)

Zimbabwe is currently unranked, as it has played insufficient matches. It has 167 points and a rating of 42

Upcoming ODI fixtures

South Africa v Pakistan

4th ODI: Durban, 21 Mar

5th ODI: Benoni, 24 Mar

Sri Lanka v Bangladesh

1st ODI: Hambantota, 23 Mar

2nd ODI: Hambantota, 25 Mar

3rd ODI: Pallekele, 28 Mar