ICC issues clarification for 'erroneously' listing India as No. 1 Test team following huge goof-up

The International Cricket Council addressed the error on their part of wrongly making India the No.1-ranked Test team on Wednesday. Confusion reigned supreme when the ICC's official website showed India as the Test World No. 1 on their official ranking list but had no mention of it in their release. This was a big deal since as per the mistake, India became the World No. 1 in all three formats at the same time, a feat which was achieved only once previously.

The Indian media went berserk at this phenomenal feat, but the joy lasted only a few hours as the ICC rectified the error later in the evening, putting Australia back as the No. 1-ranked Test team. As people tried to wrap their heads around what had just happened, they soon came to the realisation that it was nothing more than a goof-up on the ICC's part. On Thursday, ICC released an official statement confirming Australia's position at the top of the table, where they issued a clarification on the blunder.

Also Read: ICC website makes India the No. 1 Test team, then reverses ranking in shocking U-turn as confusion reigns supreme

"The ICC acknowledges, for a short period of time on February 15, 2023 that, due to a technical error, India were erroneously displayed as the No.1 Test team on the ICC website. We apologise for any inconvenience caused," the ICC said.

With 126 points, Australia sit atop, followed by India at second with 115 points as both teams are in the middle of a high-profile Border Gavaskar Trophy Test series, vying for a place in the final of the second World Test Championship final. India are leading the series 1-0 having win the first Test in Nagpur by an innings and 132 runs, with the second match starting in Delhi tomorrow.

There was however, good news for India as per the latest ICC rankings as Ravichandran Ashwin became the No. 2 Test bowler, closing in on Australia captain Pat Cummins at the pinnacle.