India drops to sixth in ICC ranking

September 09, 2007 16:35 IST

In the wake of the series defeat in England [Images], India dropped behind Pakistan to the sixth slot in the ICC [Images] ODI Championship table with the mild consolation being Sachin Tendulkar's [Images] rise to the 12th spot in the batting chart.

The 3-4 defeat in England cost Rahul Dravid's [Images] side two rating points in the ICC ODI Championship table and though both India and Pakistan sides have 108 points, the latter takes the fifth spot when the ratings are recalculated to three decimal places.

Personally, Tendulkar, however, has a lot to cheer about as he leapfrogs nine rungs to join South African Jacques Kallis [Images] in the 12th spot.

The Mumbaikar was India's top run-scorer in the seven-match encounter with 374 runs -- only the Man of the Series Ian Bell [Images], with 422 runs, scored more -- including four half-centuries.

This is Tendulkar's highest position in the rankings since March 2006, when he briefly touched 11th position, and suggests there is plenty left in his batting locker despite media suggestions of impending retirement from one form of the game.

Apart from Tendulkar, India has three other batsmen in the top 20 - Dravid, who has dropped two places during the England series to 15th position, Yuvraj Singh [Images], a non-mover at 18th and the 19th-placed Mahendra Singh Dhoni [Images].

Meanwhile, the series win -- England's first victory in a home ODI series since 2003 -- helped Paul Collingwood's [Images] side gain three rating points and overtake the West Indies [Images] to move to the seventh place.

Table topper Australia is five points clear of second-placed South Africa, 21 ahead of India and 24 in front of England.

Among the English batsmen, Bell moved into the top 20 and is just one point short of his best rating, achieved earlier in the ODI series. He is one of two England players in the top 20, along with second-placed Kevin Pietersen [Images], holding steady just behind leader Ricky Ponting [Images] of Australia.

In the LG ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, all-rounder Andrew Flintoff [Images] remains Englands highest-ranked player and has climbed five places to 10th position after taking 10 wickets in the four matches he played.

Only one player took more wickets in the series than Flintoff and that was his team-mate James Anderson, and his great form has seen him climb 19 places to break into the top 20 at 14th.

In contrast, Indian pacer Ajit Agarkar [Images], who started the series in 13th position, dropped 12 places, which means India is now without a bowler in the top 20.

Flintoff's excellence with the ball has also seen him rise to the second spot in the LG ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders, overtaking Chris Gayle of the West Indies, Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka [Images] and Kallis in the process.

ntoff, however, is still some distance behind the leader of that list, South African Shaun Pollock [Images].

Pollock also tops the LG ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, ahead of Australia's Nathan Bracken [Images] and Shane Bond [Images] of New Zealand [Images]. Below Ponting and Pietersen in the batting table comes the Australia duo of Michael Hussey and Matthew Hayden [Images], together with South Africa captain Graeme Smith [Images].

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