Tendulkar fails to break into ICC Test top-20 list

DUBAI: Sachin Tendulkar's century in the first cricket Test against Bangladesh could not lift him among top-20 batsmen while skipper Rahul Dravid held his eighth spot to be the only Indian in the elite class of the latest ICC Players Rankings for longer version of the game.

Tendulkar, who made 101 in the first innings, was still at the doorstep of the top-20 list being steady at 21st position while another ton-maker Sourav Ganguly was two places up to be at joint 33rd spot.

Wasim Jaffer, who had a pair of ducks to his credit in the rain-marred Test, dropped six places to joint 54th place but is still ahead of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is at 60th spot after gaining four places and Yuvraj Singh, who is joint 61st after falling four places.

England has four players inside the top 15 batting places in the rankings and no other side can match that, although Australia does have three players - Ricky Ponting, fifth-placed Michael Hussey followed by Matthew Hayden in the top 10.

Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf and Kevin Pietersen of England occupy second and third places respectively.

Among bowlers, spinner Anil Kumble slipped one place to fourth behind Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralidaran and the South African duo of Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini.

The order of players in the LG ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders remains unchanged with Irfan Pathan still holding his fifth position in the Jacques Kallis-led list.

The drawn first cricket Test against Bangladesh will cost the fourth-placed India its rating in the Test Championship table to be updated after the conclusion of second match beginning May 25.

India failed to win the Chittagong Test despite its positive intent but the fact that it cannot now win both matches against a lowly-placed team will count against Dravid's side.

The ICC Test Championship table is headed by Australia, England are placed second and Pakistan are third.