New Delhi, August 02: Sri Lankan skipper, who smashed double hundred in the second Test, toppled the Indian batsman Virender Sehwag from his numero uno position in ICC test ranking.
Sangakkara pushed Sehwag to second position to regain the top position after 2009. Sehwag lost his position after making 99 runs in the first innings.
On the other hand, Sangakkara scored his seventh double hundred (219) in the first innings and 42 not out in the second innings of match, which ended in a tame draw.
In the latest ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen released on Sunday, master blaster Sachin Tendulkar jumped two places up at No.4 in the ranking.
Sachin Tendulkar scored his fifth double hundred of career and also helped India to the Test after islanders scored mammoth 642 runs in the first innings.
Another Sri Lankan cricketer Thilan Samaraweera has risen one place to 18th after scoring 76 not out and 10 not out, he has some work to do though if he is to climb back up to his previous highest ranking of 11th place.
England’s Andrew Strauss has just managed to break into the top 20 after captaining his side to victory in the first Test against Pakistan that concluded.
Strauss’ teammate Paul Collingwood has leapt five places to sit in 22nd while vice-captain Alastair Cook has slipped five places to 30th sitting one below India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
England’s Matt Prior has risen to 33rd while Pakistan captain Salman Butt has dropped two places to 34th and Umar Akmal has slipped another six places to occupy 46th position in the table.
England centurion Eoin Morgan has shot up the rankings to 51st position after his strong batting display with Collingwood at Trent Bridge.
India’s Test debutant and centurion Suresh Raina has entered the rankings in 60th place after his knock of 120 against Sri Lanka.
In the Rankings for Test bowlers, there is no change at the top of the table which is headed by South Africa’s Dale Steyn followed by Pakistan Mohammad Asif.
However England’s James Anderson has climbed four places to claim fifth place, just behind his team-mate Graeme Swann who is now only 14 ratings points ahead of the fast bowler. Anderson’s 11-74 sees him claim his highest ranking to date.
A disappointing Test match for Pakistan’s Danish Kaneria has seen the spinner drop six places to 21st; it is the first time Kaneria has been outside of the top 20 since 2003.
It is better news for Kaneria’s team-mate Mohammed Amer who has risen four places to 34th after completing the Test with figures of 4-76.
Test Rankings (Team)
1. India 130
2. South Africa 119
3. Australia 113
4. England 111
5. Sri Lanka 111
6. Pakistan 84
7. West Indies 79
8. New Zealand 78
9. Bangladesh 7
ICC Test Batting Rankings:
1. Kumar Sangakkara 882
2.Virender Sehwag 863
3. Mahela Jayawardene 832
4. Sachin Tendulkar 817
5. Michael Clarke 814
6. S Chanderpaul 807
7. Jacques Kallis 791
8. Graeme Smith 787
9. Simon Katich 772
10. Ross Taylor 766
11.Gautam Gambhir 765
12. AB de Villiers 762
13. Hashim Amla 745
14. Younis Khan 732
15. VVS Laxman 727
16. Ricky Ponting 717
17. Tamim Iqbal 707
18. TT Samaraweera 703
19. Rahul Dravid 679
20. AJ Strauss 670
——–Agencies