Australia extend rankings lead, Proteas slide

Australia's lead at the top of the International Cricket Council Test team rankings has increased following today's annual update.

Steve Smith's men are now six points clear of second-placed India, with Pakistan just one point back in third.

The ranking system works on a four year cycle, with today's update meaning results in 2012-13 are no longer included in calculating the Test rankings.

Quick Single: Australia's road back to No.1

The annual Test update hurt South Africa the most, who lost 17 rankings points and dropped three places from third to sixth. 

The Proteas victories over Australia, England, New Zealand and Pakistan in 2012-13 no longer count, and with the team rebuilding under new captain AB de Villiers, it is a long road back for the former No.1 Test nation.

Results in 2014-15 have had their weighting reduced from 100 per cent to 50 per cent, which has benefitted Pakistan, who lost 2-0 to Sri Lanka in that period.

Australia were crowned Test cricket's No.1 team in February after completing a 2-0 clean sweep of the Black Caps in New Zealand.

It ended a flawless Test summer for the Australians and skipper Smith, who is yet to taste defeat in the five-day format at the helm.

"When you are No.1 in the world every team you play against is out for you, they are hunting for you," Smith said in February. 

"It takes a lot of hard work to stay at No.1. 

"If it does happen ... we've got a pretty tough series in a couple of months' time in Sri Lanka. 

"Lots of hard work still in us after this series."

Australia last held the mantle as the world's premier Test team in 2014, a reign that lasted just one month.

But this time Smith is determined to stay at the top for a lot longer, and it starts with the Qantas Tour of Sri Lanka in July.

"It is a good start for us," he said. 

"We want to win every series that we play.

"We were able to adapt to these conditions really well ... hopefully we can do that when we play that next Test tour."

ICC Test Rankings