Series win to put India in 2nd, Dravid moves to third

Dubai, Mar 14 (UNI) Having convincingly won at Mohali, India are set to ovetake England to the second place in the ICC Test Championship Rankings if they do not lose the third Test in Mumbai and win the series, even as Rahul Dravid has moved up to third place among Test batsmen, in the latest Rankings issued today.

India (111 points) are now two points behind second-placed England (113) and a win or a draw in Mumbai, thereby winning the series, will see them snatched the second spot from England, in the list still headed by Australia (119).

Meanwhile, Dravid's scores of 95 and 42 not out, which played a key role in his sides win, has lifted him three spots and now only Australia's Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis of South Africa are ahead of him in the rankings.

Virender Sehwag, whose unbeaten 76 secured India's victory yesterday, remains unchanged in 10th place, but Sachin Tendulkar has slipped three spots to 15th after his solitary innings of four during the Mohali Test.

Milestone man Anil Kumble's 9-146 has eased him up one place to 12th and he is now the leading Indian bowler in the rankings, overtaking Irfan Pathan, who has slipped two positions to 13th but the left-arm bowler has strengthened his hold on fourth spot in the all-rounder's list and is now within striking distance of South Africa's Shaun Pollock.

For England, they have an uphill task at hand and after the Mohali lost and they have to win the final Test in Mumbai to retain their second position in the LG ICC Test Championship table and anything less than victory will see India overtake them.

On top of that, their players are also under pressure in the players rankings.

A twin failure for Andrew Strauss in Mohali has seen him slip four places to 21st in the batting list and England's only representative in the top 20 now is the unavailable Marcus Trescothick, in ninth position.

Kevin Pietersen, who scored a first-innings half-century in Mohali, holds on to his 24th spot, while stand-in captain Andrew Flintoff is up six places to 26th after a his 70 and 51 in a losing cause.

Flintoff is also on his way up in the bowling list, rising one place to seventh position in the LG ICC Player Rankings for bowlers after taking four wickets in Mohali, and although he remains in second spot in the all-rounder's table, he has also picked up rating points in his quest to overhaul South Africa's Jacques Kallis.

More UNI PDS DB2110