The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : India should avoid defeat to stay second in rankings

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 27, 2006

Sport

Sport - Tennis

India should avoid defeat to stay second in rankings

London: India needs to avoid a loss to Pakistan in the series decider in Karachi, as an adverse result would see it lose second place in the ICC Test rankings to England.

India had recently upstaged Michael Vaughan's team to become the No.2 Test team behind Australia, but a series-defeat against Pakistan would see the Ashes winner regains the second spot.

Victory for Inzamam-ul-Haq's side would mean that it would be breathing down India's neck with only four points between the two teams. The difference was 12 points at the start of the series.

If India manages to win the series, it will take its tally to 116, its highest-ever since the official table was introduced.

The run glut in Faisalabad has meant that Shoaib Akhtar was the only bowler from either side in the top 10 bowling charts at No.7. Anil Kumble dropped two places to No. 11, while Harbhajan Singh, wicketless in the series so far, slipped to 17th, his lowest ranking in nearly five years.

Australian pace spearhead Glenn McGrath continued to lead the Test bowling honours ahead of spin wizards Mutthiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne.

Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting stays atop the Test batting rankings ahead of South African Jacques Kallis and Caribbean maestro Brian Lara.

Indian captain Rahul Dravid is at No. 4 followed by his Inazamam. Virender Sehwag is the other Indian in the top 10 at No. 7. Apart from Inzamam, his teammates Younis Khan, eighth, and Mohammad Yousuf, ninth, also feature in the elite list. — PTI

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