India need to draw Test series to retain second position in ICC rankings

A 2-0 series win will fetch India one rating point to take them to 118 points with no change in the table.

    

While a 1-0 result would see India losing five points to end on 112 ratings points, just one ahead of third-ranked Australia, though they would still remain on second position.

    

A 0-0 or 1-1 draw will allow both the teams to maintain their pre-series rankings.

    

In case New Zealand, who are currently on eighth position with 82 points, win the series 2-0 then they will jump to 88 ratings points, while India will fall to 110.

    

New Zealand will leapfrog the West Indies into seventh position if they win the series 1-0.

    

In fact, the Black Caps can move ahead of Sri Lanka in sixth place, provided they beat India 2-0 and Bangladesh win the second Test against Sri Lanka to draw the series 1-1.

    

A 1-0 series win for New Zealand will mean it will join West Indies on 87 points but will be ranked in seventh position when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

    

India's Cheteshwar Pujara (5th) and vice-captain Virat Kohli (11th) have excellent opportunities to climb up the ladder in the ICC Test batsmen's table.

    

It will be golden chance for in-form Kohli to enter the top-10 for the first time in his career.

    

Ravichandran Ashwin, at seventh spot, starts off the series as the highest-ranked Indian Test bowler.

 (Agencies)

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Indian squad for Test series against New Zealand

Pacer Ishwar Pandey is the only new face in the Test side. The two Tests will be held at Auckland (February 6-10) and

Wellington (February 14-18).

The Indian top-order failed to convert good starts but Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane struck morale-boosting fifties ahead of the Test series as the visiting team's two-day practice match against New Zealand XI ended in a tame draw on Monday.

The lanky Ishwar Pandey finally got a chance to play a match on this tour of New Zealand in a two-day tour game and his three-wicket haul in 14 overs would surely make him happy after waiting in the wings for three weeks since India landed in this country.

However, Dhoni said that after the last fifth ODI that there is still some work that needs to be done with Pandey's bowling.

    

"Regarding Ishwar Pandey, we thought that there is some more work needed on his bowling before he can be tried," Dhoni had said.

India Test Squad:  

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Wriddhiman Saha, Ishwar Pandey.

 (JPN/Agencies)

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