India Move to No. 1 in ICC Test Team Rankings

India secured No. 1 ranking in the ICC Championship test matches, after defeating Sri Lanka, by an innings and 24 runs at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. The visitors began with the overnight score of 274 for 6, on the morning of the fifth day, with the Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara at the crease at 133. But Sangakkara could only add four runs to his overnight score of 133, when he was dismissed by Zaheer. India wrapped up the test match in just 7.4 overs, after the rest of the Sri Lankan batting lineup folded quickly adding just 35 runs. Zaheer took three of the four wickets finishing with an impressive 4-1-21-3. With 5-75 bowling figures in the innings, Zaheer Khan claimed his eighth five wicket haul.

The last Sri Lankan wicket fell when Muttiah Muralitharan edged a flighted delivery from Harbhajan Singh to Indian skipper Mahendra Dhoni, who made no mistake. Earlier, the Sri Lankans were made to chase a mammoth score 726-9, the highest total in test cricket by India against Sri Lanka. Skipper Dhoni scored an unbeaten century and declared 333 runs ahead of the visitors and two days left to play. This was the seventh match India won out of ten under the captaincy of Dhoni.

Highlight of the match was the 293 run knock by Indian opener Virendra Sehwag. Though, Sehwag missed becoming the only batsman to score three triple tons for the third time, he is the only batsman who has scored the fastest 250 in test cricket. Sehwag was declared as both Man of the Match and Player of the Series.

The first test match played in Ahmedabad was a draw, while the second test at Kanpur ended with India wiinning by an innings and 144 runs. By winning the third and final test match at Mumbai, India clinched the three test series against Sri Lanka 2-0.

With this decisive win, India has overtaken South Africa in the ICC test match rating at 124 points from 32 matches. South Africa has scored 122 points of 30 matches. Australia and Sri Lanka finish at third and fourth with 116 and 115 points respectively, after playing 31 matches. India will now play Sri Lanka in two Twenty-20 internationals at Nagpur and Mohali, and five match ODI series beginning on December 15 at Rajkot.