How Australia Have Risen Back to the Top of World Rankings

Tags: Australia, Justin Lee Langer, Steven Peter Devereux Smith

Published on: Jul 15, 2020

There is a familiar look again to the ICC Test World Rankings as Australia, like they did for large parts of the 90s and 00s, hold the top spot ahead of New Zealand and India respectively.

The last few years have been a tough period in Australian cricket, but they have done a great job of repairing any damage done to the national team’s reputation. Here is a look at how they have been able to get back to the top of the rankings again

Appointment of Justin Langer

When he took over the reins as the head coach of the national team in May 2018, Justin Langer had a huge job on his hands. He knew Australia were not going to become the best team in the world again overnight.

The first thing Langer did with the Baggy Greens was to bring pride back to playing for the national team. Just like all the teams he played in during his illustrious career.

Langer has done an excellent job of leading the team in all three formats of the game. His experience of Test cricket has certainly helped the younger players in his squad, particularly in the summer of 2019 when they retained the Ashes in England

Steve Smith Better Than Ever

Former Australia captain Steve Smith was banned from all forms of cricket for a year in 2018 but since his return to action, he has looked better than ever. Smith is top of the batting rankings in Test cricket ahead of Virat Kohli. Given how highly the latter is regarded in India and around the world, it says a lot about the form of the Australian.

The 31-year-old averages 62.84 in Test cricket. During the Ashes series against England, the hosts struggled to get his wicket. Smith excels in all conditions and he is proving to be one of the greatest of his generation.

Best Bowling Attack In The World

Australia has the best bowling attack in the world right now, so it is no surprise they are getting good results in this form of the game.

Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood have built a formidable partnership. They will be crucial in their bid to help Australia win the 2020 T20 World cup on home soil where their side are the 5/2 favourites in the cricket betting for the trophy.

The trio of seamers are also supported by Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa who can both cause problems spinning the ball. These two players are crucial in the sub-continent, particularly in India and Sri Lanka where spinners have a lot of success on the dry wickets.

Whether they are required to skittle out for less than 200 or are in difficult conditions, Australia’s bowlers seem to always fancy they can do the job done for their team.

Expect to this Australian team extend their gap at the top of the ICC Test rankings over the next couple of years in what could be a period of domination

Related News