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In April 1986, (Sir) Vivian Richards' West Indians took their rating to 1236 points after their 'blackwash' of the touring English side.� Richards' team claimed the record that had been held by Lindsay Hassett's Australians after defeating the West Indies 4-1 in January 1952.
Waugh's Australians have now increased their rating to 1236 points to equal the record set by Richard's West Indians.� In 126 years of Test cricket, the three teams mentioned are the stand out performers.� Only one other team, Benaud's Australians with 1201 ratings points in 1959, has ever passed 1200 points.
To claim the highest Test rating in their own right, Australia would not simply need to defeat West Indies in the Caribbean.� Australia would need to do so while conceding no more than one draw.� The down side of having a record high rating is that basically, Australia can not afford to drop a Test or they will lose ratings points.
The question dominating Australian minds following the Ashes series is that of the future of the captain, Stephen Waugh - should he stay or should he go now.� Teams, like nations, take on the attributes of their leaders.� Looking back over the last four years that Waugh has been in charge, the team now doggedly fights its way out of holes and never gives up - just like Waugh himself.� Winning is everything.
The risk for Australia is that which the West Indians have already suffered.� When Ritchie Richardson took over from Richards, he took over a great team that had been moulded by Richards.� However, while they still won most Test series, the number of Tests drawn or lost started gradually rising.� Eventually, they started to lose Test series.
The heir apparent, Ricky Ponting, will be a fine and successful Australian captain who will win many Test series.� However, Ponting is not as ruthless as Waugh.� If Australia follows the West Indian example and the ruthlessness falls away, then their win rate will drop then their rating will also fall away.� Waugh, like Richards, is worth far more as a leader than as a batsman, a point the Australian selectors seem to be ready to ignore.
Second placed South Africa is biding their time and waiting.
Australia's series win over England was comprehensive, as was expected given they entered the series with a 164 rating point advantage.� However, it is worth noting that this touring English team is by no means the weakest English side to have toured Australia.
Despite their loss in this series to Australia, England remains close to their strongest since the early 1980s.� During the first three Tests, England was able to dominate Australia for at least one full day of each Test.�
Once the series had been decided after the third Test, the pressure came off England and they played more competitively.� By the time they reached Sydney, England dominated the entire Test.� A similar release of pressure in 2001 saw England win in Headingley.
England retains fourth place in the ratings and is only nine points behind third placed Pakistan.� England may, however, have a tougher task in fending off the increasingly strong New Zealanders who are 13 points adrift in fifth place.
England still has much to do if they are to climb beyond fourth place.� Their win in Sydney was merely a prelude.� England needs to reshape their team around those players who have show the ability to fight in any situation.
In Michael Vaughan, England looks to have unearthed someone of the old school, who upon reaching three figures is looking determinably for a second or third century.� One-day cricket seems to breed this out of other batsmen and England would do well to keep Vaughan out of one-day cricket.
England has two raw quick bowlers that may develop with further help from their academy coach Rodney Marsh.� England's next big test will be how they handle hosting the South Africans in July.
The latest Test cricket ratings are: 1. Australia (1236); 2. South Africa (1161); 3. Pakistan (1062); 4. England (1053); 5. New Zealand (1041); 6. Sri Lanka (1030); 7. India (1029); 8. West Indies (1004); 9. Zimbabwe (902); 10. Bangladesh (818).
