Mumbai, Apr 16 (ANI/Business Wire India): Virender Sehwag's 319 in the first Test of the just-concluded series against South Africa has taken him to the top spot in the Castrol cricket rating for the year 2008.

Sehwag, who capped a memorable comeback to the Indian team on the tour of Australia with an innings of 151 in the final Test, went on to become only the third batsman in Test history after Sir Don Bradman and Brian Lara to score two triples in Test cricket after his triple century during the Chennai test match against South Africa.

Sehwag currently leads the rating with 57 points. At second place in the Castrol rating is Ishant Sharma, the find of the Australian tour. He has 49 points to his credit.

Irfan Pathan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni occupy the third and fourth spots with 48 and 46 points respectively.

For the fifth spot there is a tie between batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh, who won the man of the series during the just concluded South African series with 45 points.

The annual Castrol awards were instituted in 1997-98 and completed a decade last year.

The awards take into account performances by Indian cricketers in Tests and one-day internationals over a 12-month period.

ANI