Cricket: Clarke regains top spot in test batting ranks

Australia's Michael Clarke. Photo / NZPA

Australian captain Michael Clarke has reclaimed the top spot in the latest ICC player rankings for test batsmen.

Clarke, who entered the Hobart test trailing Shivnarine Chanderpaul by just one point, now leads the West Indian by nine points.

Clarke's knocks of 74 and 57 in the Hobart test against Sri Lanka, won by Australia by 137 runs, played a part in helping him reach the top, the International Cricket Council said in a statement.

Other big gainers were Australia's Mike Hussey, England's Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell, Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan and India's Virat Kohli.

Hussey returned to the top 10 in ninth position after rising four places following his unbeaten knocks of 115 and 31 in Hobart.

Batsmen slipping down the ladder are Kevin Pietersen in 11th (down by two), Thilan Samaraweera in 17th (down by two), Mahela Jayawardena in 21st (down by four), Sachin Tendulkar in 22nd (down by three), Virender Sehwag in 25th (down by two), Cheteshwar Pujara in 26th (down by one), Shane Watson in 39th (down by three) and Prasanna Jayawardena in 52nd (down by one).

The bowlers' table was still headed by South Africa's Dale Steyn while Sri Lanka's spinner Rangana Herath dropped two places to fourth whereas Australia fast bowler Peter Siddle, who was the player of the match at Hobart for his spells of five for 54 and four for 50, was at fifth place with a best-ever 806 ratings points.

Also moving up are England's paceman James Anderson in sixth (up by one), India's spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in 20th (up by two), Nathan Lyon in 28th (up by two), Ishant Sharma in 32nd (up by one) and Chanaka Welegedara in 34th (up by five).

The bowlers to move downwards within the top 10 include Graeme Swann in seventh (down by one), Pragyan Ojha in ninth (down by four) and Ben Hilfenhaus in 10th (down by one).

- AAP