Top 5 instances of Number 1 ranked Test teams suffering humiliating losses in subsequent series
The ICC Test rankings have always been an enigmatic proposition and there have been times when these rankings have been too lopsided and not do not make any particular sense. But then these rankings are the only parameters to judge the performances of the countries.
Over the years the shallow nature of the ranking system has been thoroughly exposed, as many number one ranked teams have been stripped of their positions by lower ranked teams in a manner which only raises many questions about the worth of such rankings.
Perhaps, the fact that these Teams prepare pitches which suit their strengths at home, but once they embark on overseas tours, they do not find any answers to the alien conditions.
Here in this list, we take a look at 5 such instances when the number 1 ranked team was beaten soundly, and this lost their numero uno status.
#1 India 2011
The Indian team were on top of the world during 2011, as they were the number one ranked team in Tests, and had also won the limited overs World Cup at home. Hence, there were a lot of expectations when the team toured England.
However, the Indian team never got going in the tour and were thrashed 4-0 by the English side, and were outplayed by leaps and bounds in all the matches.
The rout started in the first match at Lords, when Zaheer Khan limped out with a hamstring injury and this was the start of a long horrendous tour for the MS Dhoni-led side.
Barring Rahul Dravid, who scored 3 centuries in the series, no other Indian batsmen could play any innings of substance. The bowlers too were toothless and the English batsmen made merry.
By the end of the series, India had surrendered their number 1 ranking and England were crowned the new number 1 team.