India closing in on Pakistan for third place in ICC Test rankings

Dubai, Jan 29 (UNI) Fourth-placed India are just one point adrift of Pakistan after the latter's 1-2 series loss to South Africa, while Rahul Dravid maintains his eighth position among batsmen and veteran leggie Anil Kumble rising one place to third among bowlers in the latest ICC Test rankings released today.

Pakistan lost four points while the Proteas gained equal rating points to draw level with fifth-placed Sri Lanka, although they still trail Mahela Jayawardene's line-up when the ratings are re-calculated to three decimal points.

Australia still heads the table, 21 points ahead of England, who are in second spot, six points clear of Inzamam's side.

However, Pakistan seamer Mohammed Asif who was just bailed out of a doping scandal, equalled the record for the fewest matches taken by a Pakistan player to break into the top ten of Test bowlers's rankings.

His 19-wicket haul in the three Tests against South Africa was enough to lift him three places in the rankings to eighth position.

Asif has taken just nine Tests to reach that lofty position and only two other Pakistan bowlers -- Waqar Younis and Pervez Sajjad, the left-arm spinner who played 19 Tests in the 1960s and 1970s -- had broken into top ten so quickly.

LG ICC Test Championship: 1. Australia (135); 2. England (114); 3. Pakistan (108); 4. India (107); 5. Sri Lanka (102); 6. South Africa (102); 7. New Zealand (93); 8. West Indies (72); 9. Zimbabwe (28); 10. Bangladesh (2) Top 10 Batsmen: 1. Ricky Ponting (Aus) 936; 2. Mohammed Yousuf (Pak) 915; 3. Kevin Pietersen (Eng) 870; 4. Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 857; 5. Mike Hussey (Aus) 842; 6. Matthew Hayden (Aus) 828; 7. Jacques Kallis (SA) 820; 8. Rahul Dravid (Ind) 816; 9. Brian Lara (WI) 801; 10. Younis Khan (Pak) 789; Top 10 Bowlers: 1. Muttiah Muralidharan (SL) 913; 2. Makhaya Ntini (SA); 3. Anil Kumble (Ind); 4. Shaun Pollock (SA) 730; 5. Matthew Hoggard (Eng) 725; 6. Shane Bond (NZ) 722; 7. Stuart Clark (Aus) 720; 8. Mohammad Asif (Pak) 710; 9. Andrew Flintoff (Eng) 708; 10. Shoaib Akhtar (Pak) 698 Top five All-rounders: 1. Jacques Kallis (SA) 462; 2. Andrew Flintoff (Eng) 416; 3. Shaun Pollock (SA) 356; 4. Daniel Vettori (NZ) 329; 5. Irfan Pathan (Ind) 254 UNI