Tendulkar rises to 6th spot, Gambhir slips in ICC Test rankings

Senior India batsman Sachin Tendulkar gained two places to reach the sixth spot but poor form saw opener Gautam Gambhir slip five rungs down the ladder to ninth in the latest ICC ranking for Test batsmen released on Sunday.

Gambhir, who got out cheaply in the first over in both innings in the first Test, has 773 points, while Tendulkar has 795 points in his kitty.

However, compatriot Virender Sehwag continued his upward surge after scoring a century in the first Test and topped the chart with 866 points.

Among other Indians to figure in the top-20 list, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid, went down one step each to sit at the 14th and 18th place respectively.

Meanwhile, seasoned off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and pacer Zaheer Khan were static in the top-20 bowlers' chart, led by South African fast bowler Dale Steyn.

Zaheer, who missed the first Test after suffering a shoulder injury, was seventh with 722 points, followed by an off-colour Harbhajan, 47 points adrift.

Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan, who retired from Test cricket after becoming the first to bag 800 wickets last Thursday, was the third best bowler in the rating chart.

In team rankings, India retained their numero uno status with 124 points, followed by South Africa (120) and Australia (116).

However, India will lose its number one ranking if Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men lose the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka by a 2-0 or 3-0 margin.

There was no Indian in the top-five all-rounders' list, led by star South African Jacques Kallis.