India move up to fourth in LG ICC ODI Championship after drawn series

The thrilling drawn ODI series between India and South Africa has been enough to lift India up three places in the latest LG ICC ODI Championship table.

The 2-2 result sees Rahul Dravid's men gain two points, lifting their rating to 109, and although that is the same points tally as Sri Lanka and England, India are now above both of them (and New Zealand) when the ratings are recalculated to three decimal places.

The importance of being in the top six of the LG ICC ODI Championship table will assume massive significance over the next six months.

The teams in those positions on 1 April 2006 will automatically qualify for the second stage of the ICC Champions Trophy, to be staged in India later in the year.

The four sides below sixth spot will have to take part in a preliminary round to qualify for the second stage although India, as hosts, will automatically be in that second stage no matter where they are in the table on 1 April.

South Africa do not appear to be in any danger of slipping out of the top six at this stage as, although their rating has slipped by two points, they are still in second spot, albeit now 18 points behind runaway leaders and world champions Australia.

The India - South Africa series has produced a big batting mover on both sides in the LG ICC ODI Player Rankings - Jacques Kallis and Sachin Tendulkar.

Kallis's consistency sees him move up ten slots into the top ten and he is now equal ninth. His rise maintains the presence of two Protea batsmen in the top ten (Graeme Smith is holding firm at number three) as Herschelle Gibbs, who opted not to make the tour, has slipped six places to 15th.

Tendulkar has slipped 13 places on the back of a modest series and now lies at 22nd in the batting list. Two India players lie ahead of him - captain Dravid in seventh, and Virender Sehwag, who moves up seven places to 18th spot.

Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan are two other Indian batsmen making moves up the player rankings. Yuvraj is 26th, up five places, and has his highest-ever ranking points tally, while Pathan has moved up 10 places to joint 59th.

Pathan has also made a positive move in the bowling list. The left-armer is up two places to joint eighth, consolidating his position in the top ten, and he is India's highest ranked one-day bowler, just ahead of Harbhajan Singh, who lies in 11th.

Shaun Pollock's incisive new ball displays during the India series sees him move up two places to third, just behind Australia duo of Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee but Pollock's opening partner Makhaya Ntini has slipped down six places to 10th.

Fellow fast bowler Andre Nel has risen four places to 16th and his best-ever ranking points tally but India's Ajit Agarkar has dropped seven places to 23rd.