Hussey becomes 24th batsman in history to reach 900 points in LG ICC Player Rankings
VVS Laxman shows his class; Chanderpaul in the form of his life; bowlers Lee, Steyn and Clark on the riseAustralia’s batting phenomenon Michael Hussey has become only the 24th batsman in the history of Test cricket to reach the magic 900-point mark in the LG ICC Player Rankings.
Hussey’s knocks of 41 and 145 not out in his side’s 122-run win over India at Sydney were enough to give him 18 ratings points, putting him on exactly 900, just one behind team-mate Ricky Ponting.
Only 23 batsmen in the 130-year history of Test cricket have amassed a better rating than the 32-year-old left-hander and given he is still in the qualification period for batsmen, it is likely that he will move even further up the ladder depending on how he performs in the third Test at Perth, which starts on 16 January.
Now having played 20 Test matches, Hussey is averaging a remarkable 84.80 with the bat, having hit eight centuries and eight fifties in his 33 trips to the middle.
Hussey is not the only Australia batsman celebrating as Andrew Symonds has shot up 12 places and into the top 20 for the first time in his career with a contribution to the cause of 162 not out and 61 in the Sydney Test.
Symonds is just one ratings point behind England’s Paul Collingwood and three behind India’s VVS Laxman, who himself gained three places in the batting rankings and is now back into the top 20 in 18th position.
It is significant and symbolic of its dominance that each of Australia’s top seven batsmen is in the top 25 with Adam Gilchrist (22nd place) and Phil Jacques (24th place) just outside the top 20.
Despite losing the match, it was not all bad news for India. Apart from Laxman’s improvements, Sachin Tendulkar moved up four places to 13th position and once again became the highest-ranked India player, ahead of Rahul Dravid, who dropped one place to 15th spot.
The other big mover at the top of the batting rankings is the West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who gained three places to seventh after a gritty performance in the second Test against South Africa at Cape Town. Currently enjoying a personal best of 838 ratings points, the stats back up what many people have been saying – Chanderpaul is in the form of his life.
The top spot is still occupied by Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, followed by South Africa’s Jacques Kallis in second position.
In the LG ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers three bowlers in the top 10 – Stuart Clark and Brett Lee of Australia and Dale Steyn of South Africa – all reached career peaks while Steyn has overtaken team-mate Makhaya Ntini to become his country’s highest-ranked bowler for the first time.
Just outside the top 20, Andre Nel of South Africa (up three places to 21st position), Daniel Vettori of New Zealand (up two places to 22nd) and India’s Harbhajan Singh (up two places to 26th) are all showing good form.
Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralidaran is still way out in front followed by Clark in second place and Steyn third.
Further down the list, there were improvements for RP Singh of India and the West Indies’ Dwayne Bravo, who both gained eight places to 32nd and 33rd positions, respectively. With his three wickets in the closing stages of the second Test at Sydney, left-arm spinner Michael Clarke gained 22 places and now sits in 76th position.
Meanwhile, there was plenty of movement in the top 10 of the LG ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders. Vettori has overtaken South Africa’s Shaun Pollock into second place while Lee and Bravo each moved up two places to sixth and eighth spots, respectively.
Top all-rounder is still South Africa’s Kallis with Andrew Flintoff of England in second place.
For more information on the LG ICC Player Rankings go to http://www.lgiccrankings.com/