Tendulkar is ICC's world No. 1

Two match-winning knocks against Australia in the tri-series finals have propelled Sachin Tendulkar back to the position of world's number one ODI batsman displacing the vanquished Australian skipper Ricky Ponting in the ICC Rankings on Tuesday.

Tendulkar is seven rating points clear of Ponting, who had a miserable run with the bat during the series and struggled against a young Indian attack.

The Indian has reached the rank four years after he had last touched it, during the Asia Cup in 2004 in Sri Lanka.

South African captain Graeme Smith at the third spot follows the second-placed Ponting.

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who became the first Indian wicketkeeper to score more than 300 runs and effect 20 dismissals in a series, is at the 10th spot with 728 points, just five below ninth-placed Herschelle Gibbs.

Dhoni's deputy Yuvraj Singh occupies the 18th position with 691 points.

Meanwhile, the historic triumph has helped India gain three rating points to move just a fraction behind third-placed New Zealand in the ICC ODI Championship table, where Australia's lead on top was trimmed to a bare minimum.

Australia, which entered the series on 130 ratings points, dropped to 127 points, the same as second-placed South Africa but above Graeme Smith's side when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

News Source : Samachar