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India on Monday regained the top spot in the ICC Test rankings after securing a 1-0 series win over reigning World Test Championship winners New Zealand. With 124 rating points, India have replaced New Zealand in the position, who are on 121 points. Australia are third with 108 points while England are fourth 107.

India had lost the top spot in May 2020 after records of the 2016/17 season was eliminated as per the rules. They had won all five series they played during that period including against Australia and England, recording 12 Test victories and one defeat. On the other hand, Australia had lost to South Africa as well as to India in the same period.

India needed less than an hour’s play on Monday morning to take the last 5 New Zealand wickets and wrap up the 2nd Test. Jayant Yadav picked up 4 wickets and R Ashwin wrapped up the final wicket as India hammered New Zealand by 372 runs, their biggest-ever victory in terms of runs in Test cricket.

New Zealand, who were bundled out for 62, managed 167 in their second innings as they lost their last 5 wickets for just 27 runs on Day 4 morning. After holding fort to draw the first Test in Kanpur, New Zealand ran out of steam on a difficult Mumbai pitch where spinners ruled the roost.

Despite Ajaz Patel picking up a record-setting tally of 14 wickets, New Zealand conceded the series as their batters failed to step up against a high-quality Indian attack. Ajaz became only the third bowler after Jim Laker and Anill Kumble in the history of Test cricket to pick up all 10 wickets in an inning but he became the first from the elite list to end up on the losing side

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India today

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