Boys have earned fair and square: Shastri on India’s numero uno Test status

PTI, May 14, 2021, 10:37 AM IST

New Delhi: India’s head coach Ravi Shastri says his team deserved the status of the world’s number one Test side after overcoming every obstacles, including a change in points system, on its journey to the summit.

India remained the number one Test side after the annual update of the ICC team rankings was released on Thursday. Shastri was chuffed about it.

“This team has shown steely resolve & unwavering focus to be crowned No. 1. It is something the boys have earned fair & square. Rules changed midway but #TeamIndia overcame every hurdle along the way. My boys played tough cricket in tough times. Super proud of this bindass bunch,” Shastri tweeted.

The former India captain has been serving as the head coach of the Indian team since 2017, having got an extension after the 2019 ICC World Cup.

India head the table after gaining one rating point for an aggregate of 121, having accumulated 2914 points from 24 matches.

Virat Kohli’s men are closely followed by their World Test Championship final opponents, New Zealand, with a rating of 120. The Kiwis have garnered 2166 points from 18 Tests and gained two rating points.

India’s 2-1 win over Australia and 3-1 win over England over the past year and New Zealand’s 2-0 series wins over the West Indies and Pakistan have helped them keep ahead of the pack.

According to an ICC statement, the latest annual update eliminates results of 2017-18.

Southampton will play host to the WTC final between India and New Zealand from June 18 to 22.