http://www.dawn.com/2001/09/03/spt3.htm
LONDON, Sept 2: India’s comprehensive innings and 77-run loss to Sri Lanka at Colombo has consigned them to eighth place on the ICC Test Championship table.
India (0.69 points per series average, down from 0.77) exchange places with Pakistan (0.73), who had earlier slipped to eighth behind their nearest rivals after drawing their away series with England in June.
Sri Lanka maintain fourth position with their 2-1 series victory, improving their average to 1.08, and thereby moving clear of the West Indies who had been on level terms with them at an average of 1.00 prior to the completion of this series.
The outcome of this latest series overrides the 0-0 result of the two-Test series played between Sri Lanka and India in 1997/98.
While Sri Lanka have closed the gap on England, who are presently in third, to a margin of just 0.06, they have no further opportunities to increase their points per series average until the two sides meet in England in May 2002.
Before then, their only assignments are Asian Test Championship fixtures against Bangladesh and Pakistan (neither of which will affect the standings on the table as they are one-off matches), and a series at home against Zimbabwe. The latter series does not permit Sri Lanka to gain any points as they already hold the maximum available against Zimbabwe from having beaten them 2-0 when they last met in Sri Lanka - in 1997/98.
India’s next opportunity, meanwhile, to regain seventh position will come in October when Pakistan host New Zealand. As they drew their last series against the New Zealanders in Pakistan in 1996/97, a loss would see the home side slip to 0.67, just behind India once more.
India can control their own fate in November, when a reversal of their 2-0 series loss in South Africa in 1996/97 would also ensure that they would shrug off eighth place.
The next series to count towards the ICCTC starts when Zimbabwe host South Africa later this month. It will be a fresh opportunity for points for both sides as neither of the last two meetings between the sides in Zimbabwe qualifies for consideration under the ICCTC rules.
The teams played a one-off match in 1995/96 and their subsequent meeting at Harare in 1999/00 was part of a two-Test home and away series which, for the purposes of the ICCTC, is seen as having been played in South Africa. However, no matter the result, the respective positions of the two teams on the current table will not be affected.
This is good that we are past our “arch-rivals” India but we are still in a measly 7th place and we made it to the finals in 99. Inshallah we will get our chance to get revenge against the Aussies who humiliated us not only in 99 but in the NatWest championship earlier this year in the finals between Pak and Australlia. Inshallah we can even improve our rankings even more by beating New Zealand or even keeping our 7th place by tying. And if this Pak vs India in bangladesh ever happens we can beat the indians like we did to them in 99 in the ATC.