Sweet success for Zaheer, jumps seven places in ICC rankings

It looks like all the talk about jelly beans during the second Test between India and England seems have had an impact at the ICC headquarters in Dubai-but in a different way.

Normally very straightlaced in its press releases, the ICC today issued one that was titled 'Sweet success for Zaheer in LG ICC Players Rankings', with the accompanying note containing similar references.

Under the title was this pointer: "Vaughan's continuing resurgence sugarcoats England loss". And then, the first line: "India's Zaheer Khan can savour the sweet taste of success in the LG ICC Player Rankings after his man of the match performance in the second Test against England in Nottingham."

It added further down, "England are unlikely to be in the business of sugar-coating their defeat and the loss, which puts them in danger of their first home series defeat since 2001, will be hard to swallow for Michael Vaughan's side."

Anyway, the play on words apart, the news from Dubai is that Zaheer has "charged up seven places to 12th spot in the latest table (LG ICC rankings) for Test bowlers". And Sourav Ganguly has just done what he could not in the last six years.

Says the ICC release: "And Zaheer is not the only India player with reason to smile because of upward movement in the LG ICC Player Rankings. Former captain Saurav Ganguly, whose Test career looked over a year ago, has surged up eight places to 30th in the batting list, the first time he has occupied such a lofty perch in the past six years."

According to the ICC, India now have a strong chance of emerging as No 3 Test team, too. "India's success in Nottingham means they can still win the series 2-0 with another victory at The Brit Oval in London," says its release.

"And if they do that it will rise from their current fifth position to third place in the LG ICC Test Championship table, just behind England. A draw in London would secure a 1-0 series win (and what would be India's first series win in England since 1986) and that would elevate (Rahul) Dravid's men to fourth and within striking distance of Sri Lanka."

India's highest-placed batsman in the rankings remains Dravid in ninth spot, Sachin Tendulkar is also unchanged in 17th position and veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble lies seventh in the bowling log, a drop of one place. Australian captain Ricky Ponting stays as No 1 batsman, and Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan the top Test bowler.