Australia must win 4-0 against India to extend lead

Australia needs to win the forthcoming four Test series against India 4-0 to improve its rating in the ICC Test Championship starting in Brisbane on Thursday.

Such is Australia's dominance of Test cricket - it has lost only three matches in the last two years - that it must win all four of its matches against India to increase its rating from 130 to 132.

This would increase its advantage over second placed South Africa to an unprecedented 21 points.

If Australia wins the series 3-0 it will maintain its current rating while anything less will cause it to fall. Even if Australia loses all four matches it will still hold on to top spot but its rating will slump to 119.

If India - currently sixth in the official Test table - can run Australia close it will narrow the gap to its nearest rival Pakistan. Even losing the series by a one Test margin will boost India's rating from 95 to 97, only one point behind Pakistan, while a series draw would lift India to fifth in the table with a rating of 100.

A 3-0 or 4-0 win for India would catapult it to third place.

The ICC Test Championship table correct on 1 December 2003

Developed by David Kendix

Note: If ratings are equal, the ratings calculation is refined to three decimal places to determine the higher ranked team.

Full scenarios for Australia v India Test series:

Mike Procter from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Referees will officiate on the series. Rudi Koertzen and Steve Bucknor from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires will stand in the first Test with David Shepherd accompanying Koertzen in the second Test. Billy Bowden will stand with Shepherd in the third Test while Bucknor will return to join Bowden in the final Test.

The impact future results will have on the ratings is available on the official ICC website. For a full explanation of how the ratings are calculated, visit www.icc.cricket.org.

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