Dubai: England batsman Ian Bell has broken into the top five in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test Rankings after recording a career-high batting rating following his brilliant 159 against India at Trent Bridge.
Stuart Broad’s all-round heroics have seen him climb to third in the all-rounder rankings, while he has also jumped to seventh place in the bowling table following match figures of 8-76.
Tim Bresnan has risen 14 places in the bowling rankings, following his first five-wicket Test haul, to put him 25th on the list, while his innings of 90 in the second innings has helped him rise to 13th in the all-rounder standings.
However, it is not all good news for England’s batsmen, as Alastair Cook has slipped six places to 11th position following a disappointing series in which he has made just 20 runs in four innings.
Indian batsman Rahul Dravid, who made his second consecutive Test hundred of the series, has continued his climb up the rankings, rising four places to joint 11th, and is on the verge of breaking back into the top 10, with his best batting rating since India’s last Test series in England in 2007.
Rahul Dravid, one of the few Indian batsmen who have succeeded in the ongoing series.
There are already three India batsmen in the top 10, with Sachin Tendulkar (third), V.V.S. Laxman (ninth) and Virender Sehwag (10th) just ahead of Dravid.
England is now on course to take top spot on the ICC Test Championship table.
A series win of two clear Tests in the four-match series (2-0 or 3-1) will see Andrew Strauss’s men topple India as the No.1 Test side in the world.
England won the Trent Bridge Test by 319 runs and now leads the series 2-0.
The table is updated only at the end of each series. (Agencies)
