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For India, it is a case of from there and back again. India's rating began a slump from a high point of 1061 points in March 1996. In early 2000, India's rating bottomed out at 1006 points when South Africa inflicted their last series loss at home. Since then, India's rating has steadily been climbing. Their current rating of 1045 points is their highest rating since March 1998.
India has spent most of the last four years in sixth position in the ratings with an average of 1025 rating points. Their win over the West Indies has now lifted their rating to 1045 points and into fifth place.
The resurgence in India's rating coincides with the elevation of Saurav Ganguly to the captaincy. However, India's recent improvement under Ganguly has been hamstrung by a continuing inability to win away from home.
India has a fortress like record at home. Their loss to South Africa in early 2000 was their first loss since losing to Pakistan in 1987. At the same time, India has only won away from home in a one-off Test against debutants Bangladesh in November 2000.
India has not won a full test series away from home since they defeated Sri Lanka in 1993. Prior to that, they managed a win in England in 1986. India's wins away from home have been sparse indeed.
India must learn to win overseas if they are to increase their rating and continue to climb up through the rankings. Critically, India must win away from the subcontinent.
From a batting perspective, tours to Australia and South Africa have shown an inability for their batsmen to cope with the bounce that such wickets provide. India's quick bowling stocks are weak. Their home pitches have traditionally served quicks poorly. Spinners, as a former Indian great recently observed, don't have to work as hard as quick bowlers while getting the best assistance from the pitch. Outside of India, a team without good quick bowlers is always going to struggle.
However, India's problems pale into insignificance when compared to the West Indies. The loss in India leaves the West Indies on 996 ratings points. That is their second worst rating in history and only the second time West Indies have fallen through the 1000-point barrier. Their worst rating of 990 points was set in 1933 after they lost in Australia in their fourth series ever.
West Indies is now at risk of setting a new low in their proud history of Test cricket. Luckily, they still hold an 85 rating-point lead over ninth placed Zimbabwe. Despite the West Indian's recent record, they are unlikely to fall that far.
West Indies went into the series against India without Brian Lara. In his absence, Hooper and Chanderpaul did their best with their openers Gayle and Hinds not really contributing until the final Test.
West Indies major weakness is their bowlers. By and large, they can't bat. Collapses of 5 for 40 were commonplace in the first two Tests. Teams need the tail enders to be able to stick around and help the last recognised batsmen add the cream to an innings. Imagine, for example, if Australia's tail could not hang around with Gilchrist.
The West Indian bowlers also do not seem to be able to bowl line and length - a far cry from their great predecessors of the 1980s and early 1990s. Since the retirement of Walsh and Ambrose, none of the current crop of bowlers have stood up and seized the mantle of strike bowler.
Once West Indies had lost the series and the pressure abated, the team performed far better. The third Test saw the West Indies dominate almost every session until the final day. On that final day, West Indies was unable to force home their advantage and India batted through the day for a draw.
If West Indies could have played the entire series like the first four days of the final Test then the result would have been completely different.
The latest Test cricket ratings are: 1. Australia (1230); 2. South Africa (1138); 3. Pakistan (1065); 4. England (1059); 5. India (1045); 6. Sri Lanka (1041); 7. New Zealand (1025); 8. West Indies (996); 9. Zimbabwe (911); 10. Bangladesh (826).
