Ravi Shastri took to Twitter to express his thoughts after Team India retained the number one Test ranking as the International Cricket Council (ICC) released their annual team rankings on Thursday. Shastri, the head coach of India’s men’s cricket team, applauded the “steely resolve and unwavering focus” shown by his side that saw them lead the Test rankings for the fifth consecutive year. “This Indian team has shown steely resolve & unwavering focus to be crowned No. 1. It is something the boys have earned fair & square,” Shastri tweeted
“Rules changed midway but #TeamIndia overcame every hurdle along the way. My boys played tough cricket in tough times. Super proud of this bindass bunch,” he added.
India, captained by Virat Kohli, took the top spot with 121 rating points while New Zealand, their opponent in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final, finished second with 120 rating points.
India qualified for the inaugural WTC final after beating England 3-1 in the home Test series.
The WTC final will be played at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton from June 18 to 22 with June 23 to be kept as a reserve day.
The number one Test side will then face England in their own backyard in a five-match Test series.
India had announced a strong 18-member squad for the upcoming assignments and a couple of their key players made a return to the Test side.
Ravindra Jadeja and Hanuma Vihari, recovered from their injuries, were named in the squad while Jasprit Bumrah who had missed the final home Test against England was also included.
