After completing a 2-0 whitewash against Pakistan, New Zealand leapfrogged Australia to take top position in the ICC Test Team Rankings and become the world No 1 Test team for the first time in history.
New Zealand have been impressive at home after beating India 2-0 at the start of 2020. Once cricket restarted after lockdown, they beat West Indies 2-0 and have followed that up with a similar scoreline against Pakistan.
On Wednesday, they beat Pakistan in the second Test by an innings and 176 runs, riding on a double century by captain Kane Williamson and a 11-wicket match haul by young all-rounder Kyle Jamieson.
Australia and India are both in with a chance to go top based on their result in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. A 2-1 or 3-1 series win for Australia in will take them back to No 1. A drawn series will keep New Zealand at No 1. Meanwhile, a 3-1 series win in Australia will take India to the top of the rankings.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!