By IANS
Dubai : Test captain Anil Kumble is the best placed Indian in the International Cricket Council (ICC) bowlers’ rankings at sixth while Sachin Tendulkar is at 12th in the batsmen’s list.
Leg-spinner Kumble retained his position with 738 rating points at the end of the four-match Test series against Australia, ICC announced here Tuesday.
In the all-rounders’ list, Kumble also climbed four places and is now in seventh position, enjoying the highest rating of his career. Kumble took only one wicket in Australia’s first innings in the fourth Test in Adelaide but hit 87 and nine not out in the match to put pressure on the top five in the all-rounders’ list.
This also means that with Irfan Pathan currently occupying sixth place India can boast two Test all-rounders in the top seven.
Australian fast bowler Brett Lee achieved the highest rating of his career and is now in fourth position. Lee, who was named the Man of the Series, played a big role in securing a 2-1 series win ober India, taking 24 wickets at 22.58.
That effort has contributed to his rise and he now sits on 795 ratings points, poised to become the fourth bowler in the world currently beyond the magic 800-point mark.
It is all part of a steady progress for the 31-year-old New South Welshman over the past year or so. The right-armer, placed 15th 12 months ago, is ahead of South Africa’s Makhaya Ntini and now has Protean’s team-mate Dale Steyn and Australia’s Stuart Clark in his sights.
In the batsmen’s list, Michael Clarke of Australia and India’s Sachin Tendulkar have gained one place each in the top 20 and are now placed 11th and 12th, respectively.
Clarke scored 118 in Adelaide, his sixth Test century, while Tendulkar excelled in the first innings, stroking a masterful 153, registering his 39th century in Test matches. Tendulkar is currently enjoying his highest Test ranking for two years.
Virender Sehwag’s 63 and 151 at Adelaide has pushed him up eight places to 24th place in the rankings.
Rankings:
Batsmen:
1 Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) 933 rating points
2 Jacques Kallis (South Africa) 917
3 Mike Hussey (Australia) 912
4 Ricky Ponting (Australia) 899
5 Mohammed Yousuf (Pakistan) 880
6 Matthew Hayden (Australia) 860
7 Mahela Jayawardena (Sri Lanka) 835
8 Shivnarine Chanderpaul (west Indies)
9 Kevin Pietersen (England) 804
10 Younis Khan (Pakistan) 799
Bowlers:
1 Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) 907 rating points
2 Dale Steyn (South Africa) 832
3 Stuart Clark (Australia) 829
4 Brett Lee (Australia) 795
5 Makhaya Ntini (South Africa) 768
6 Anil Kumble (India) 738
7 Shane Bond (New Zealand) 709
8 Shaun Pollock (South Africa) 702
9 Matthew Hoggard (England) 695
10 Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan) 684