CRICKET

Cricket: Sehwag becomes top ranking India batsman

It has been a great month for Virender Sehwag. (Action Images / Mick Tsikas)

Monday March 31, 2008
DUBAI (ICC) - Master blaster Virender Sehwag, who made 319 in the drawn Test with South Africa in Chennai has become the top ranked India batsman in the latest LG ICC Test Rankings.

Sehwag, whose triple ton was the fastest in Test history in 278 balls, leaps 13 places to 12th spot in the LG ICC Player Rankings for Test batsman after a massive 17 per cent rise in his rating following his breathtaking batting display.

Sehwag’s ranking is his highest in two years while in 2004, the 29-year-old from New Delhi had jumped to second place behind team-mate Rahul Dravid.

On current form, Sehwag has a realistic chance of returning to the top 10. He is within touching distance of 10th place Kevin Pietersen of England who is just behind ninth-placed Shivnarine Chanderpaul of the West Indies.

Sehwag has leapfrogged Dravid, who himself rises two places to 13th spot following his 25th Test century, Sachin Tendulkar, who drops three places to 15th position after a fifth-ball duck, and VVS Laxman, down one place to 18th spot.

Besides Sehwag, South Africa’s batting duo of Hashim Amla and Neil McKenzie have also made significant upward movement.

Amla, who made scores of 159 and 81, rockets up 10 places to a career-best 24th spot while McKenzie, who contributed 94 and 155 not out, jumps 26 places to 36th position. It is McKenzie’s first time in the top 40 in four years.

Jacques Kallis, however, continues his slide in the rankings as he slips another place to drop to fourth behind Australia’s Ricky Ponting, while captain Graeme Smith falls two places to 16th position.

In the LG ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, South Africa’s Dale Steyn took 4-103 to stay within touching distance of Sri Lanka’s Muthiah Muralitharan who still leads the list.

India’s Harbhajan Singh has climbed four places to 24th position after match figures of 8-265. The 28-year-old stands a good chance of returning to top 20 as only 25 ratings points separates him from James Franklin of New Zealand, who occupies that 20th place.

The LG ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders is still headed by Kallis but he is on the verge of dropping below the 500-point mark after conceding 23 ratings points from the Chennai Test.

Irfan Pathan is the highest ranked India all-rounder in seventh place while captain Anil Kumble is in 10th position.