Gilchrist becomes No.1

Australia wicketkeeper/batsman Adam Gilchrist has surged to the top of the world Test batting ratings after Sachin Tendulkar's slide two places to number three.

Gilchrist, who boasts six centuries, becomes the first number seven batsman to lead the PricewaterhouseCoopers Test batting ratings. The latest ratings were issued on Monday.

Left-handed batsman Gilchrist, 30, has a Test batting average of 60.00 and made 473 runs at an average of 157.67 including a double-century and a hundred in the three-Test series in South Africa which ended in March.

PricewaterhouseCoopers said in a statement that Gilchrist, with 881 points, was also the first Australian to head the rankings since captain Steve Waugh after his century in the fifth Ashes Test in England in August last year.

Pakistan's Inzamam-ul-Haq jumped five spots to number four behind Gilchrist, Brian Lara (West Indies) on 877 points and Tendulkar on 864.

Inzamam hit 329, the 10th highest score in Test history, against New Zealand in last week's first Test in Lahore.

West Indies captain Carl Hooper, who has scored two centuries in the first two Tests of the current series against India, jumped nine places to 15.

Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan remained on top of the bowling ratings, 10 points clear of Australia quick Glenn McGrath on 908 points, followed by South Africa captain Shaun Pollock and Australia leg-break bowler Shane Warne.

Mail Cricket Editor