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Ishant, Shakib make big gains in latest rankings

January 22, 2010 15:40 IST

Ishant SharmaIndia pacer Ishant Sharma gained nine places in the latest Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers and now sits in 16th position, just behind the other big mover of the day, Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh.

In a closely-fought Test in Chittagong, India eventually emerged winners by 113 runs, but it was not all bad news for Bangladesh, as the home team remained competitive for long periods of the game.

Shakib's seven wickets -- including 5-62 in the first innings -- was a highlight of the match and earned the 22-year-old nine places in the rankings, the same as Ishant, who took five wickets.

Further down the list, India's leg-spinner Amit Mishra gained 10 places and moved up to 45th in the rankings after claiming match figures of 38.4-5-158-7.

Number one in the bowling chart is still Dale Steyn of South Africa, followed in second place by Australia's Mitchell Johnson.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen Sachin Tendulkar showed in the match that he still has plenty to offer at this level with his 44th Test century.

The 36-year-old from Mumbai now averages exactly 55 with the bat over the course of his amazing Test career that remarkably is now into its 21st year.

Tendulkar's latest success earned him two places in the rankings and he is now back up to 13th position.

Meanwhile, team-mate VVS Laxman also gained two places and is up to 15th, but former captain Rahul Dravid slipped five places to 19th.

The batting list is still headed by Gautam Gambhir, whose second-innings century went a long way in securing victory for India.

It was a memorable match, too, for Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim, who scored his maiden Test century as Bangladesh compiled 301 all out in the fourth innings of the match.

Along with his contribution of 44 in the first innings, 21-year-old Rahim gained 10 places as a result and now occupies 44th place on the ladder.

As well as gaining nine places in the bowling chart, Shakib also moved ahead of Johnson in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders after the Chittagong Test. The captain is now in fourth position, still a long way behind South Africa's Jacques Kallis in first place and Daniel Vettori in second.