Sachin re-enters top-20
The little master's match-winning ton has allowed him to re-enter the lists.
Sachin Tendulkar's match-winning hundred against the West Indies has seen him re-enter the top-20 of the LG ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen, while dashing stumper Mahendra Singh Dhoni also gained two places to be fourth in the latest list.
Tendulkar has moved up four spots to 18th after scoring his 41st ODI hundred against the West Indies on Wednesday to help India win the four-match series 3-1.
The little master slipped out of that elite group last April, briefly regained his place during a tri-series against Australia and the West Indies in Malaysia and the ICC Champions Trophy, and then dropped out again by the end of the latter tournament in November, the ICC said in a release.
It means India can now boast four players inside the top 20 batting slots with Dhoni in fourth position -- his highest rankings since August 2006 -- captain Rahul Dravid in 12th spot and Yuvraj Singh lying 20th.
And even though Yuvraj has slipped one place, it will still be a source of encouragement that he is playing again after being sidelined since October with a serious knee injury.
India’s 3-1 success against the West Indies has not been enough to lift it up from sixth place in the ODI Championship table but with only four rating points separating it from third-placed Pakistan, there is still plenty of scope for upward movement for Dravid’s side when it lines up against Sri Lanka in another four-match series later this month.
In fact, with 10 of the 11 sides in the table in action over the next few weeks -- the West Indies is the exception -- the chances are, there will be significant changes in the standings before the World Cup starts on March 13.
Meanwhile, Australia is nine rating points clear of South Africa at the top of the table and is yet to lose a match during its ongoing tri-series against England and New Zealand.
It has already secured a place in the finals of that tournament and its current run of form follows its successes in the Malaysia tri-series and the ICC Champions Trophy.
And while India has four batsmen inside the top 20 places of the player listings, Australia can boast the same number inside the top six positions with Michael Hussey, named ODI Player of the Year at last November’s ICC Awards, heading the field.
Below him are Ponting (third), Adam Gilchrist (fifth) and Andrew Symonds (sixth) while yet another Australian player, Michael Clarke, occupies 10th spot.
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