South Africa retained the iconic Reliance ICC Test Championship mace and with it won a cash award of $500,000 following its 2-0 series win over the West Indies in Cape Town on Tuesday.
Ranked first in ODI cricket, England have won 15 of their 19 series since going out in the pool stages at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2015.
Now, the 'Men in Blue' are left with just five T20Is -- two more against the Proteas and three games against Afghanistan at home in January -- ahead of next year's T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.
Virat Kohli, who amassed 593 runs at an average of 59.3 in the series which the visitors lost by 1-4 margin, had started the series 27 points behind Australia's Steve Smith and finished one point ahead of his closest rival.
Pakistan cricketers see big jump in personal rankings too, Rohit, Bumrah also climb atop the leaderboard
The ICC Board accepted the resignation of former president Mustafa Kamal, effective from April 2, and confirmed that no replacement would be appointed for the remaining weeks of his term.
India had more good days than bad with the Ravi Shastri-Virat Kohli combination at the helm of affairs and, as the cracking partnership of nearly seven years comes to an end, here's a look at their major achievements.
India may be way behind Australia in the Test rankings, but the World Cup holders are just 0.2 points behind the top-of-the-table Kangaroos in the ODI rankings. According to the latest ICC rankings, Australia and India are on 117 rating points and the scores will only be settled in the upcoming tri-series involving the two teams and England, starting January 18 next year.
England head to the Oval for the final Test of the summer against India on Thursday as the world's top side courtesy of a rankings system which is now widely accepted but not generally understood.
While Kohli has slipped to 10th on the ICC rankings, the Indian great continues to hold a remarkable Test batting record. He has scored 27 Test centuries and 28 half-centuries and currently has a Test batting average of just under 50.
Miffed with the changes being proposed in the ICC's administrative structure, the Pakistan Cricket Board said it will oppose any overhaul that will cede executive decision-making to India, Australia and England.
Teenage Indian batting sensation Shafali Verma on Wednesday rose to the top spot in the ICC women's T20 International rankings, riding on her stellar run at the T20 World Cup in Australia. The 16-year-old Verma takes over from New Zealand's Suzie Bates, who had been the top batter since October 2018 after wresting the spot from West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor.
South Africa could overtake top-ranked Australia on the ICC Test Championship Table if they win their upcoming series against Pakistan
India remain third and have jumped by four points to 111, their highest ranking since the new system was introduced.
Rohit is tied at the eighth spot with England's Alex Hales. Both batsmen have 664 points.
Arch-rivals India and Pakistan were drawn in same group for the ICC World Twenty20 2016. The two teams will face off on March 19 in Dharamsala.
ICC withdraws demerit point to Rawalpindi stadium
Australia dethroned India from the top position of the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings after its 4-1 victory over South Africa in the five-match series which concluded in Sydney.
'With Agha (Salman), Shadab (Khan) and (Mohammad) Nawaz, we have enough power-hitting to improvise. It's just a matter of giving them confidence.'
Gayle said only three teams dominating the game can't be good for the game in the long run.
India secured its inaugural victory against Australia in women's Test cricket at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium
Virat Kohli achieved another personal milestone by becoming the seventh India batsman and first since Sachin Tendulkar in June 2011, to top the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen.
India, who are also the number one in Tests, overtook the West Indies to reach the top spot in the shortest format. India have 120 rating points, two more than the Caribbean unit.
Kevin Pietersen is backing England, India and Australia to make the semi-finals with Jason Holder's West Indies his outsiders to play beyond their world ranking.
India is ranked fourth among team in the charts.
Of the last 15 Tests played in India, only two reached day five. However, the ICC does not think there is a problem with Tests rarely lasting full five days in India.
The Indian cricket team will open its campaign in next year's World Twenty20 Championships against arch-foes Pakistan when the event is staged in Bangladesh from March 16 to April 6.
Their failure to win even a single match in the ODI series against England has led to World Champions India dropping a couple of rungs to fifth, their lowest position in three years, in the latest ICC One-day Rankings, issued on Saturday.
It was widely reported that the T20s against the Lankan side will take place before Test matches in Mohali and Bengaluru and the cricket body has now confirmed it.
India will start their two-Test series against South Africa in Johannesburg on Wednesday with an aim to close the gap with the number one ranked side.
India batter Mithali Raj moved up a rung to second spot, overtaking Australian Lisa Sthalekar, in the ICC Women's ODI Player rankings issued on Friday. Mithali scored 59 against England and 75 not out against Sri Lanka in the ongoing ICC Women's World Cup group stage matches to guide them into the Super Six stage.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting backed Labuschagne to return to his best.
Just before the ICC Champions Trophy, it looked likely that India would be the world's best team in One-Day Internationals. But by failing to even qualify for the semi-finals, and now losing the home ODI series to Australia, the Indian dream has ended. India (59.71) are still second, and a whisker ahead of South Africa (59.43) in the Rediff ODI rankings, but expect them to drop to the third place quite soon.
The competition involves the nine top-ranked Test nations competing in a league between July 2019 and April 2021, with the top two sides progressing to the final which will be held in England in June 2021.
Australia captain Michael Clarke got his hands on the Reliance ICC Test mace, on Wednesday, a symbol of his side's status as the number-one ranked Test side in the world.
India's back-to-back title triumphs has helped the world champion team retain its top position in the ICC ODI rankings following the annual update of the list announced on Friday.
The legend of Virat Kohli reached gigantic proportions as the reigning superstar of Indian cricket virtually made the World Twenty20 a one-man show.
India's journey into their ODI future will hit its first stop during the opening match against South Africa on Sunday.
The swashbuckling Surya has been nominated along with England's Sam Curran, Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza and Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan for the coveted award.
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