Sachin Tendulkar back on top of the world

India?s batting wizard Sachin Tendulkar has claimed the number-one ranking in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen after producing a man-of-the-match performance against Australia in the second Test which ended in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The 37-year maestro from Mumbai scored 214 and 53 not out in India?s seven-wicket victory which gave Mahendra Singh Dhoni?s side a 2-0 series victory over Ricky Ponting?s men.

Tendulkar won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Award 2010 at the LG ICC Awards in Bengaluru last week and for his latest batting efforts earned 53 ratings points, which was enough to put him ahead of Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara and his Indian team-mate Virender Sehwag.

It is the first time in eight years that Tendulkar has topped the batting table. He achieved the number-one ranking on 22 August 2002 when he scored 193 in his 99th Test to help India beat England by an innings and 46 runs at Headingley.

Overall, it is the ninth time that Tendulkar has claimed the number-one ranking which he first achieved in his 33rd Test on 18 November 1994 after scoring 34 and 85 against the West Indies in the Mumbai Test which India won by 96 runs.

Tendulkar had entered in the two-Test series in fourth position on 809 ratings points. But in the two Tests, he collected 82 ratings points ? thanks to his series aggregate of 430 runs.

If the champion batsman maintains the same form in the forthcoming three-Test series against New Zealand starting on 4 November in Ahmedabad, he could not only improve his career-best rating of 898 ratings points but also become only the 26th batsman in the history of the game to reach the 900-point mark which, in rankings terms, is the benchmark for top batsmen.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting is the other batsman from inside the top 20 to make an upward movement. The Tasmanian scored 77 and 72, and was rewarded with a jump of three places which puts him in 16th position.

However, Ponting?s vice-captain Michael Clarke and opener Simon Katich have failed to retain their positions. Clarke has fallen five places to 13th while Katich has slipped two places to 14th.

Outside the top 20, Australia opener Shane Watson has moved up six places to 24th spot which is his career-best ranking to date. Marcus North has also vaulted six places to claim 46th position after scoring his fifth Test century.

For India, Rahul Dravid has retained his 22nd position and VVS Laxman has stayed in eighth spot despite missing the Test but Murali Vijay has jumped 29 places to 57th position after scoring 139 and 37.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Ben Hilfenhaus have gained one place each.

Zaheer now sits in fourth position after match figures of 4-125, Harbhajan rises to eighth places after figures of 6-211 while Hilfenhaus is now in 19th place after claiming 2-104 in the match.

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, however, has dropped three places to seventh in the latest rakings after figures of 3-105 and 0-42.

The bowling rankings are led by Dale Steyn of South Africa with England off-spinner Graeme Swann in second position.

There is no change in the top five in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders. Jacques Kallis of South Africa leads the pack with New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori in second position.