Dubai, Dec 30 (IANS) India’s Sachin Tendulkar has moved two places to fourth in the latest International Cricket Council rankings for Test batsmen while the man who dismissed him twice in the Melbourne Test – Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle – has jumped five places to be seventh in the bowlers’ standings.
Tendulkar’s rise in the rankings comes after his innings of 73 and 32 in the Boxing Day Test which Australia won by 122 runs Thursday.
Sachin is joined by Jacques Kallis’ in fourth place. The South African all-rounder lost two places following his first pair in a 149-Test career.
Another Indian batting great, Rahul Dravid slipped two places to the 11th position after scores of 68 and 10 against Australia.
Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting scored consecutive fifties at Melbourne, resulting in his gaining seven places to settle for 24th.
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara continues to be the top-ranked batsman.
Australia’s Siddle and Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath have achieved career-best rankings in the Test bowlers category.
Siddle, who took three for 63 and three for 42 against India, has jumped five places to seventh position where he is joined by Herath, who has claimed six spots after recording match figures of nine for 128 which turned out to be the cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s 208-run victory over South Africa in Durban Thursday.
There is something to cheer for India fast bowler Umesh Yadav and South Africa’s debutant Marchant de Lange.
Yadav has moved up five places to 42nd spot after figures of three for 106 and four for 70 while de Lange has entered in 51st position after figures of seven for 81 and one for 45.
Zaheer Khan retains the sixth place following his seven-wicket effort in the comeback match.
The bowling list is still headed by South Africa’s Dale Steyn.
Top 10 batsmen:
Rank Player Team
1 Kumar Sangakkara SL
2 Alastair Cook Eng
3 Ian Bell Eng
4 Sachin Tendulkar Ind
Jacques Kallis SA
6 Younus Khan Pak
7 Hashim Amla SA
8 Jonathan Trott Eng
AB de Villiers SA
10 Kevin Pietersen Eng
Top-10 bowlers:
1 Dale Steyn SA
2 James Anderson Eng
3 Graeme Swann Eng
4 Stuart Broad Eng
5 Morne Morkel SA
6 Zaheer Khan Ind
7 Rangana Herath SL
Peter Siddle Aus
9 Shakib Al Hasan Ban
10 Daniel Vettori NZ
