Sehwag enters top 5 in ICC Test rankings
Dubai | Wednesday, Dec 9 2009 IST
 

Destructive Indian opener Virender Sehwag has stormed into the top five of the ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen after scoring a superlative double-century against Sri Lanka during the third and final Test in Mumbai.

Sehwag's mammoth innings of 293, which turned out to be the cornerstone of his side's victory that ultimately gave India the number-one position on the ICC Test Championships table for the first time ever, has jumped 14 places to the fifth position which he now shares with Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf. It is for the first time since October 2006 that Sehwag has returned to the top five. From the Mumbai Test alone, the 31-year-old right-hander from Najafgarh has gained 91 points which makes him one of the six batsmen above the 800-point mark.

It has been an outstanding and memorable series for Sehwag who not only scored 491 runs in four innings but also gained 16 places in the batting table after starting the series at the 21st spot.

Sehwag's opening partner Gautam Gambhir continues to lead the batting table with the Sri Lankan duo of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara second and third respectively.

Among other Indians in the top 20, former captain Rahul Dravid (16th) has climbed two rungs while VVS Laxman (19th) has moved up a spot. Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar has conceded two spots and now sits at the 18th position after scoring 53 runs in the Mumbai Test.

In the ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh continues to be the highest ranked Indian at the sixth spot.

Indian pacer Zaheer Khan, who claimed match figures of 6-142 in the Mumbai Test, has also gained a valuable place which has now put him inside the top 10.

The list is still headed by South African fast bowler Dale Steyn with Australia's Mitchell Johnson second and off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka third.

There is no change in the ICC Player Rankings for Test all rounders with South Africa's Jacques Kallis leading the field by a comfortable margin.

-- (UNI) -- 09SPD34.xml

 

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