DUBAI: Teammates Mike Hussey and Ricky Ponting will resume their battle for the coveted number one spot in ICC Rankings for Test batsmen as Australia take on the West Indies in a three-Test series starting in Kingston, Jamaica on Thursday.
Hussey benefited from the slump in forms of Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Kumar Sangakkara to claim the top position following South Africa's tour to Bangladesh earlier this year.
Hussey had entered the home series against India late last year in fifth place while Ponting had started in first place. However, by the time the series ended, Hussey had risen to third place while Ponting had dropped to fourth.
Hussey leads Ponting by 13 ratings points but as Mr Cricket is still qualifying for a full rating -- a batsman is eligible for a full rating after playing 40 Test innings -- his points tally at the top is likely to continue to rise if his willow continues to yield runs.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul is the West Indies' highest-ranked batsman in seventh place while Ramnaresh Sarwan is ranked 22nd and Chris Gayle, who will miss the first Test due to injury, is 27th.
Australia's best bowlers in action in the series will be Stuart Clark and Brett Lee who are in third and fourth respectively in the ICC Rankings for Test bowlers while in Corey Collymore's absence Jerome Taylor in 25th place is the highest-ranked West Indies bowler. Dwayne Bravo (34th), Fidel Edwards (36th) and Daren Powell (44th) are the other home team bowlers in the top 50.
If Australia sweeps the series, it will earn one ratings point in the ICC Test Championship but if they lose all three Tests, it would concede 10 ratings points.
