Australia skipper Michael Clarke and his leading bowler Peter Siddle have climbed Test cricket’s player rankings for their efforts in the 4-0 series rout of India.
Clarke, the player of the series, rose seven places to third in the batting list after his innings of 210 and 37 in the last Test.
Siddle, who took six for 96 as man of the match in Adelaide, gained two places to a career-high fourth.
Crafty Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal rose one more place to second and his spin partner Abdur Rehman broke into the top 10 for the first time in the new ICC player rankings released on Sunday after the conclusion of the Abu Dhabi, Adelaide and Napier Tests.
Saeed followed up his 10-97 in the Dubai Test with seven for 130 in the Abu Dhabi Test which was enough to put him ahead of England’s fast bowler James Anderson in second position behind South African leader Dale Steyn.
Left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, who had figures of two for 67 and six for 25 to win the man-of-the-match award, jumped five places to ninth spot.
Also moving with Siddle were fellow Australians Ryan Harris and Nathan Lyon plus New Zealanders Chris Martin and Doug Bracewell.
Harris’s match figures of four for 112 lifted him four places to 22nd spot, while Lyon’s match figures of five for 111 earned him nine places to 43rd position.
Martin jumped three places to 13th position following his match figures of eight for 31 in the Napier Test.
Bracewell climbed four places and is now in 31st position after his five for 38.
Mainstays of their sides’ batting orders Clarke, Misbah-ul-Haq, Ricky Ponting and Ross Taylor have made big strides.
Behind Clarke, Ponting is the next highest-ranked Australia batsman in 14th position after he climbed eight places following his scores of 221 and 60 not out.
Misbah has broken into the top 10 for the first time in his career in eighth position by rising six places following his contributions of 84 and 12 while Taylor’s 122 retired hurt in Napier has lifted him three places to 17th position.
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara remain top of the batting list followed by South African Jacques Kallis.
