Pakistan has topped the ICC Test rankings for the first time after wet ground at the Queen Park Oval, Port of Spain, denied India the opportunity to defend the top spot which it had reclaimed from Australia on August 17 .

The result of the fourth and final Test means India won its series against the West Indies by 2-0, finishing on 110 points – one behind Pakistan and two ahead of third-ranked Australia. Following the Sri Lanka-Australia series, India had needed to win the Port of Spain Test to retain the number-one Test ranking.

Virat Kohli’s team had entered the series on 112 points, 44 points ahead of eighth-ranked West Indies. And because the rankings are weighted to reflect this difference, India&’s failure to win by a better margin has resulted in it dropping two points and the West Indies earning two points.

The Port of Spain Test has also brought down curtains on what has been highly competitive and entertaining six weeks of Test cricket in four different parts of the globe which saw the top spot change hands three times inside five days.

In Africa, New Zealand beat Zimbabwe 2-0 in Bulawayo, England and Pakistan played out an absorbing two-all drawn series in England, Sri Lanka swept aside Australia 3-0, while India beat the West Indies 2-0 in the Caribbean.

For Pakistan, Misbah-ul-Haq&’s side has become only the fifth team after Australia, England, India and South Africa to top the ICC Test rankings since these were introduced in 2003. Pakistan has dropped to as low as seventh three times in the past 13 years with the last being in January/February 2010 following the three-Test series in Australia – 10 months before Misbah took charge of the side.

Misbah was delighted to become the first Pakistan captain to inspire his side to the top of the Test rankings, when he said: “There is no greater feeling than to achieve the number-one ranking in the most traditional and purest format of the sport. This is what cricketers play for and want to achieve in their careers."

“Number-one ranking is a reward for something we had planned as a group a few years ago and have worked extremely hard to achieve it. To top the Test table, which boasts some of the best sides and players, is something to be very proud of," he added.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson congratulated Pakistan on achieving the number-one Test ranking. “Misbah and his side deserve our heartiest congratulations. The number-one ranking is well deserved and a testament to the quality of cricket the team has consistently played over the past few years," he said.

To mark Pakistan&’s number-one Test status, it will be presented with the ICC Test Championship mace. 

Current Test rankings: 

Rank Team              Points

1          Pakistan          111

2          India                110 (-2)

3          Australia         108

4          England           108

5          New Zealand   99

6          Sri Lanka        95

7          South Africa   92

8          West Indies     67 (+2)

9          Bangladesh     57

10        Zimbabwe       8