Australia back at No 1 in Tests and ODIs

Australia’s recent resurgence has been reflected in the International Cricket Council rankings as they have reclaimed top spot in the Test standings.

Michael Clarke’s men bounced back from their 3-0 Ashes loss to England last summer to regain the urn in emphatic style Down Under with a 5-0 whitewash over their oldest rivals.

They followed that up earlier this year by travelling to South Africa and earning a sensational 2-1 victory to hand the Proteas their first Test series defeat in just under five years.

It is enough to ensure they climb above South Africa in the rankings and they are now top in both Tests and one-day internationals for the first time since December 2008.

“We are incredibly proud to be the No 1-ranked team in the world in both Test and ODI cricket, which are two of the team’s most important goals,” Clarke said.

“There has been an enormous amount of hard work and effort on and off the field that has led to this result.”

PA