International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat saluted a “clinical” England after presenting captain Andrew Strauss with the global governing body’s mace for the world’s top Test side following the hosts’ 4-0 rout of India.
England underlined their newly-acquired status at the top of the ICC’s Test rankings with an innings and eight-run win over former number one team India at The Oval here on Monday. “I know England were determined to be number-one and through careful planning and a series of clinical performances, they have deservedly achieved their goal,” Lorgat said after the conclusion of the fourth and final Test. “They were clearly the most consistent side in the world over the past few years as evidenced by their determination to complete their series victory here at The Oval,” the SA added. “This achievement is just reward for the hard work from all the players and team management and the England and Wales Cricket Board and they no doubt will celebrate being on top of the world.
Strauss added: “We are delighted to be number one in the Reliance ICC Test Rankings and to have achieved that position with such a comprehensive series success. This has been a real team effort and everyone of the players, management and back up staff deserve great credit. “Becoming number one in the world was our stated ambition two and a half years ago and even though we have achieved that objective we will continue to look to build on this success.’ England are only the fourth team after Australia, South Africa and India to achieve the number-one position in the Test rankings table. They had already secured top spot after taking an unbeatable 3-0 lead with an innings and 242 run victory against India in the third Test at Edgbaston. But victory at The Oval extended their advantage and also dropped India into third place on 117 ratings points, behind second-placed South Africa. The Test table will next be updated at the end of the Sri Lanka-Australia series which starts in Galle on August 31. The side that tops the Test Championship table on April 1 each year collects $175,000 for doing so while the second-placed side receives $75,000.
Flower likens India rout to Ashes triumph: England coach Andy Flower compared England’s whitewash of India to their home Ashes triumph of two years ago as The Oval again provided the setting for the team’s joyful celebrations. Flower’s men completed a 4-0 series rout of the team they replaced as the world’s best Test side with an innings and eight-run victory wrapped up before tea on the fifth day here on Monday. It was England’s latest crushing win in a series where their previous margins of victory were 196 runs, 319 runs and an innings and 242 runs. “It reminds me of the Ashes in 2009, there’s a similar atmosphere. It was maybe a bit of an anti-climax because we were 3-0 up but it’s a great moment for them (the players),” Flower told Sky Sports. “The Ashes are special for their own reasons, and for the importance the English public and the Australian public give to it, but it’s also something special to be playing India,” the former Zimbabwe batsman explained. Meanwhile England captain Andrew Strauss was delighted by the way his bowlers took 20 wickets after he enforced the follow-on, with off-spinner Graeme Swann leading the way on Monday courtesy of a haul of six for 106. “It was an outstanding effort again, enforcing the follow-on asked a lot of the bowlers and they
