India is currently sitting atop the ICC Test team ratings points table with their highest ever total of 130. In this article I ran the ICC Test team rankings from 1877 (the current system has been in use only since 2003), and one of the things this allows us to do is find out who was the best ever Test team, by looking at the highest ratings points scored through the years. The results are very interesting – will it be the recent Aussie green machine, or the '80s Windies, or how about Bradman's 1948 Invincibles?
Here then is the list of the highest rated teams in Test cricket history, based on their ICC world ranking points at their peak:-
Pos | Pts (Gap) | Team | Year | Tms |
1 | 143 (+34) | Australia | 2007-08 | 9 |
2 | 134 (+21) | Australia | 1959-60 | 7 |
3 | 133 (+25) | Australia | 1951-52 | 6 |
4 | 132 (+29) | West Indies | 1985-86 | 7 |
5 | 132 (+16) | Australia | 2002-03 | 10 |
6 | 131 (+22) | West Indies | 1964-65 | 7 |
7 | 130 (+41) | Australia | 1924-25 | 3 |
8 | 130 (+11) | India | 2009-10 | 9 |
9 | 127 (+70) | England | 1890 | 3 |
10 | 125 (+29) | Australia | 1935-36 | 6 |
11 | 125 (+8) | South Africa | 1969-70 | 7 |
12 | 125 (-5) | Australia | 1962-63* | 7 |
13 | 124 (+25) | Australia | 1975-76 | 6 |
14 | 122 (+19) | England | 1956 | 7 |
122 (+19) | England | 1971 | 6 | |
16 | 122 (+8) | West Indies | 1993-95 | 9 |
17 | 122 (+2) | South Africa | 2009 | 9 |
18 | 121 (+34) | England | 1928-29 | 4 |
19 | 121 (-7) | West Indies | 1948* | 6 |
20 | 120 (+17) | West Indies | 1977-78 | 6 |
21 | 120 (-2) | Sri Lanka | 2009* | 9 |
The above list shows the peak number of points in the rankings, the gap between first and second (relative dominance), the team, which year they peaked, and the total number of teams ranked.
* Australia had the most points ever by a second-ranked team, behind the 1962-63 West Indians (130), who peaked in 1964-65. West Indies were second to the 1948 Australians and Sri Lanka second to India.
This table really highlights the constant strength of the Australian national side, the Aussies have no fewer than five of the top seven best ever sides, and eight of the top thirteen. Possibly the biggest surprise is the high ranking of Richie Benaud's young Australian side which hammered top-ranked England 4-0, and they finish just ahead of what was basically the 1948 Australians. The '80s Windies are next, though they were very dominant with a lead of +29 over the next best. India's current side fares very well, ranking as eight best ever.
But, fresh from their 5-0 thrashing of England the previous winter and following a comfortable victory over Sri Lanka, the very best ever, and by a significant margin, is the Aussie side of 2007-08. Allowing for the increased difficulty in achieving dominance as the numbers of good Test teams has increased over time, it's fair to say that they were also the most dominant, 34 points clear of three teams tied on 109 (South Africa, Sri Lanka and India).
Take a bow, Messrs Ponting, Hussey, Gilchrist, Warne, McGrath et al!
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