Australia rise to top of ICC Test rankings, India drop to 3rd spot

Australia rose to the top of the ICC Test rankings after their 4-0 win in the Ashes against England.

The Pat Cummins-led side displaced New Zealand from the No. 1 spot, while India, who were second, moved down a spot to third.

New Zealand were on top of the table, but a 1-1 draw at home against Bangladesh saw them slip down to second. New Zealand came back strong from defeat in the first match with a win by an innings and 117 runs in the second match.

England stayed put in fourth position, while South Africa moved up to fifth spot after their 2-1 home series win against India. They are now just two rating points behind England.

India had taken the lead in the series with their maiden Test win in Centurion, but South Africa rebounded with wins in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Pakistan are ranked sixth, with Sri Lanka, West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe rounding off the rankings.

Australia buoyant after Ashes domination

Pat Cummins looks on after winning the Ashes

Australia are high on confidence after completely dominating the home Ashes series.

They began with a nine-wicket win at the Gabba and followed it up with a 275-run thrashing in the Day-Night Test in Adelaide.

In the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, the home team emerged victorious by an innings and 14 runs.

England managed to salvage some pride with a draw in the fourth Test in Sydney under dramatic circumstances. Jimmy Anderson saw off Steve Smith in the final over of the match to help his team avoid defeat and a series sweep.

However, in the final match of the series, the hosts' bowlers once again came to the fore as they beat England by 146 runs.

England's batting came under heavy scrutiny, with the team failing to score 300 even once in their 10 innings.

Australia's next Test assignment, meanwhile, will be the three-match series in Pakistan in March. It will be their first away Test series in three years.