Tendulkar slips out of top 20, Dravid retains 2nd spot in ICC table

Dubai, Jun 28 (UNI) Sachin Tendulkar slipped out of top 20 for the first time since 1992 while Rahul Dravid retained second place in the LG ICC Test Rankings for batsmen released today.

Tendulkar, who missed the home Test series against England and India's tour to West Indies because of the surgery on his right shoulder, is now languishing at 22nd place in the list.

He has averaged just 28 in the last ten Tests as compared to an overall average of 55.39.

Meanwhile, Ricky Ponting retains his position on top of the table while Virender Sehwag moves down one place to 13th and VVS Laxman has moved up two places to 27th after scores of 100 and 63 in the drawn third Test in St Kitts.

West Indies captain Brian Lara is unchanged at ninth position Chanderpaul, who made an unbeaten 97 in the first innings of the St Kitts Test, giving company in the top 20 at 17th.

Among the bowlers, India has two players in the top 20 with Anil Kumble slipping down one spot to eighth position while Irfan Pathan, who missed the third Test, is placed 13th.

Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan leads the pack ahead of Makhaya Ntini of South Africa and the Australian duo of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

The all-rounders' table is headed by Jacques Kallis of South Africa, clear of England's Andrew Flintoff while Irfan Pathan remains at fifth.

LG ICC Test Batsmen Rankings: 1. Ricky Ponting (Aus); 2. Rahul Dravid (Ind); 3. Jacques Kallis (SA); 4. Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pak); 5. Matthew Hayden (Aus); 6. Younis Khan (Pak); 7. Mohd Yousuf (Pak), Mike Hussey (Aus); 9. Brian Lara (WI); 10. Kevin Pietersen (Eng); 13. Virender Sehwag (Ind); LG ICC Test Bowlers Rankings: 1. Muttiah Muralidaran (SL); 2. Makhaya Ntini (SA); 3. Shane Warne (Aus); 4. Glenn McGrath (Aus); 5. Matthew Hoggard (Eng); 6. Andrew Flintoff (Eng); 7. Shoaib Akhtar (Pak); 8. Anil Kumble (Ind); 9. Shane Bond (NZ); 10. Chaminda Vaas (SL); 13. Irfan Pathan (Ind); LG ICC Test all-rounder rankings: 1. Jacques Kallis (SA); 2. Andrew Flintoff (Eng); 3. Shaun Pollock (SA); 4. Daniel Vettori (NZ); 5. Irfan Pathan (Ind) UNI XC PDS DH HT1540