Tendulkar, Laxman move up in ICC Test rankings

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DUBAI: Senior Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar moved up a rung to third while VVS Laxman rose four positions to achieve a career-best eighth in the latest ICC Test Rankings released here on Wednesday.

The 37-year-old Tendulkar scored 98 and 38 runs in the first Test against Australia in Mohali which India won by one-wicket on Tuesday. As a result, he improved his ranking by one place which puts him in third position in the list which is headed by Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara with India opener Virender Sehwag in second place.

Tendulkar's third position is his highest ranking since the Hamilton Test against New Zealand in December 2002.

He now trails Sehwag by 13 ratings points and another solid performance with the bat in the second Test, which starts in Bangalore from October 9, could potentially put him in second place for the first time since October 2002.

Also on the charge was VVS Laxman whose unbeaten 73 proved to be the cornerstone of India's thrilling victory.

Interestingly, Laxman in the past has peaked thrice in 2001, 2003 and 2007 ? all against Australia.

Rahul Dravid has moved up one place to 22nd spot but Gautam Gambhir and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have fallen to 16th and 37th positions, respectively.

Australia opener Shane Watson, who scored 126 and 56, has also made a big impact on the rankings as he has vaulted nine places to claim a career-best 30th position.

The news is not very good for the other Australia batsmen as Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey and Marcus North have all slipped in the latest rankings.

Clarke has fallen five places to share eighth spot with Laxman, Katich has dropped three places to 12th spot, Ponting has slipped two places to 19th position, Hussey shares 28th position with Ramnaresh Sarwan of the West Indies after falling six places while North now sits in 52nd after dropping five places.

In the ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, pacers Zaheer Khan of India and Australia's pair of Doug Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus have achieved career-best rankings.

Zaheer, who was declared man of the match for his eight wickets, has moved into fifth position, while Bollinger's five wickets in the Mohali Test has helped him rise to eighth spot and Hilfenhaus is in the top 20 for the first time in 20th position.

Mitchell Johnson is also on the move and his five wickets have lifted him two places to fourth position.

Dale Steyn leads the bowling table with England off-spinner Graeme Swann in second spot.

In the ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders, Watson has moved up by two places and now sits just outside the top five in sixth spot. The list is headed by Jacques Kallis of South Africa with New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori in second place.