Australia have climbed up to the top spot in the World Test Championship after the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday brought changes to the rules due to the cancellation of several series owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Changes to the rules and rating systems were made to determine the nine teams’ standings on the points table.

Although India (360 points) still have 64 more points than Australia (296) and more series wins, the Aussies have gone atop after the ICC Board approved that the matches played and the matches lost won’t be treated as drawn and points would be split.

Australia now have 0.822 percentage points, which propelled them to the No.1 spot, while India have 0.750. England are at the third position with 0.608 percentage points, New Zealand fourth with 0.500, and Pakistan fifth with 0.395.

The changes were recommended by the Anil Kumble-headed ICC Cricket Committee.

“The unprecedented disruption caused by Covid-19 means, to date, just under half of the WTC matches have been played, with that estimated to rise to more than 85 per cent by the end of the competition window. Current regulations dictate that matches not completed shall be treated as a draw with points split. The Cricket Committee considered maintaining that status quo or determining the final WTC League standings from matches played,” said an ICC press statement on Thursday.

“The Cricket Committee recommended the latter option, which was approved by the Chief Executives Committee and ratified by the Board, meaning teams will be ranked in order of percentage of points earned,” it said.

Meanwhile, team India are all set to begin the 2020-21 tour of Australia with the ODI series from November 27. It will be followed by the three-match T20I series from December 4 before the Virat Kohli-led team begins the title defence of the Border-Gavaskar trophy with the pink-ball Test in Adelaide from December 17.

The first Test at Adelaide will be India’s first day-nigt Test outside home soil. It will also be skipper Virat Kohli’s only appearance in all-whites in Australia this time as he would return to India on a paternity leave after the opener.

Kohli had already informed the BCCI about his wish to return to India to unite with his wife Anushka Sharma. They are expecting their first child in January next year.

The day-night Test will be followed by Tests at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (December 26), the Sydney Cricket Ground (January 7) and the Gabba (January 15).