Chris Gayle still on top of Ceat Cricket Rating

Mumbai, 27 December 2002 : Rahul Dravid is poised to regain the top spot in the 2002-03 CEAT Cricket Rating, that he lost to Chris Gayle three weeks ago.

Dravid won two fielding points for his smart catching in the second Test and first one-dayer (as the wicketkeeper) against New Zealand. This, added to the one batting point that he got for his fine 39 in the first innings of the Wellington Test, gave him a total of three points from the week gone by. His tally of points is 82, only one behind Gayle. With the West Indians not playing any cricket till the World Cup and India still having six one-day internationals to play in New Zealand, it seems virtually certain that the 'Wall' will wrest back the top spot.

The same cannot be said about the Indian team, which stands fourth in the CEAT Team Rating with 60 points, behind toppers Australia (68), South Africa (64) and the West Indies (62). Winning the one-day series in New Zealand will give them at least ten points, but it could still be difficult to regain the top spot, considering the kind of form the Australians are in.

Harbhajan Singh, fourth in the overall rating, maintains his position at the top of the bowling points' table with 54 points. The second position in the bowlers' table is occupied by another Indian, Zaheer Khan, with 42 points.