Kallis upstages Lara and climbs to No. 2 spot

Jacques Kallis, the South African batsman, has upstaged Brian Lara, the West Indian captain, by climbing to No. 2 in the latest PwC rankings for Test batsmen.

Kallis earned his elevation through a stirring 162 in the second Test against England at Durban, which also made him highest run scorer for South Africa in a calendar year. He scored 1,278 runs in 2004 with five centuries.

Lara, who hasn't played a Test since last August, slipped down to No. 3. India's Rahul Dravid maintained his position at the top of the table while Damien Martyn climbed to the fourth position after his superb 142 against Pakistan at Melbourne. Other Australians to feature in the top ten are Ricky Ponting (No. 6), Matthew Hayden, joint seventh with Sachin Tendulkar, and Justin Langer (No. 9). Virender Sehwag, who had a great year in Tests, occupied the fifth position.

There were no changes in the bowling charts with Glenn McGrath still holding the top spot, followed by Muttiah Muralitharan and Shoaib Akhtar.

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