Tendulkar, Kallis share number-one batting spot

DUBAI: India's Sachin Tendulkar and South Africa's Jacques Kallis now jointly hold the top position in the list of Test batsmen after their superb show in the recently concluded Test series, according to a media release issued by ICC.

Tendulkar, who scored 146 and 14 not out in the Cape Town Test has gained one place while Kallis has been rewarded with a jump of four places for his brilliant efforts of 161 and 109 not out. Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has dropped two places to be third in the rankings.

Tendulkar and Kallis now sit on 883 ratings points, just one ahead of Sangakkara.

It is the 10th time that Tendulkar has claimed the No. 1 ranking which he first achieved in his 33rd Test in November 1994 against the West Indies in Mumbai.

While Virender Sehwag dropped two places to be at sixth, VVS Laxman stayed put at ninth position. Gautam Gambhir broke into the top-20 after his gritty show in the Test series and is now placed at 15th slot.

The only Indian among the top-10 bowlers is Harbhajan Singh who is eighth in the list led by Dale Steyn.

Read more: Tendulkar, Kallis share number-one batting spot - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/Tendulkar-Kallis-share-number-one-batting-spot/articleshow/7237438.cms#ixzz1AQv1KbHl

Tendulkar, Zaheer rested as India elect to bat

Colombo: India rested Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan as captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat in the fourth one-day international at the SSC stadium on Thursday.

India have already clinched the five-match series 3-0 after handing a 147-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the third ODI.

India had already made it clear they would test their reserves in the next two fixtures and Irfan Pathan and Rohit Sharma got a look-in. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, benched Ajantha Mendis after his ordinary showing in the first three games, giving a chance to Angelo Mathews.

Teams:
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar, Pragyan Ojha, Ishant Sharma.

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillekaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Chamara Kapugedera, Thilina Kandamby, Farveez Maharoof, Nuwan Kulasekera, Angelo Mathews, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando.

Source: http://cricketnext.in.com/news/tendulkar-zaheer-rested-as-india-elect-to-bat/38006-13.html

Racism row will not mar tour - Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is confident that the racism row that marred India's tour of Australia in January will not cast a shadow on next month's test series against the world's top-ranked team. "I don't think there is any friction between us," Tendulkar told reporters on Thursday. "As far as the Indian team is concerned, we would want to be competitive but play in the right spirit. I am very sure that the Australians would want to do the same thing." India threatened to pull out of the series in Australia after spinner Harbhajan Singh was initially found guilty of racially abusing all-rounder Andrew Symonds in the acrimonious second test in Sydney. A standoff between the teams ended after the charge was downgraded on appeal to using abusive language and the bowler let off with a fine. Australia won the series 2-1. Symonds was omitted from the touring squad named on Friday after missing a compulsory team meeting to go fishing. "I do agree they don't happen every weekend," Tendulkar said of the row. "But such things have happened in the past as well." Australia arrive this month in India ahead for the four-match series which begins on Oct. 9 with the first test in Bangalore. Tendulkar, who returns from his latest injury layoff in a premier domestic game next week, played down talk that the tourists were a weak unit. SERIOUS FORCE Australia named uncapped leg-spinner Bryce McGain, who could make his test debut at the age of 36, and offspinner Jason Krejza in the squad to replace retired Stuart MacGill. "As we all know it (Australia) is the number one team in the world. They will come here with serious force," Tendulkar said. "They still have a lot of experienced players in the team. It is not that it is a completely transformed side with no senior players in the team," he added. Tendulkar put the rivalry against Australia over the one against neighbours Pakistan. "I think it has become bigger only because of the competitiveness," he said. "All the series we have played in the recent past, taking from 2001, they have all been close ones. "Australians like good standard of play, and they enjoy healthy competition. We were able to surprise them on occasions."

Souce: www.cricbuzz.com