Australia is back on top of Ceat Cricket Rating

Mumbai, January 17, 2003: Australia have wrested back the top spot in the CEAT Cricket Team Rating from South Africa. The Aussies currently have 78 points to their credit, only two more than the Proteas who were ranked no. 1 last week. It does seem that the Australians will be able to increase the lead, as they are scheduled to play atleast four more one-day internationals in the ongoing triangular series as opposed to the South Africans, who have concluded their assignments before the World Cup.

The Player Rating continues to tell the same story with Chris Gayle and Rahul Dravid maintaining their places at the top with 83 and 82 points respectively. South African Jaceques Kallis holds the third spot with 77 points, and behind him are his teammate Herschelle Gibbs and the Englishman Michael Vaughan, ranked fourth with 75 points apiece.

Virender Sehwag·s second hundred in the one-day series in New Zealand enabled him to climb to the fifth spot in the Batsmen·s table with a total of 61 batting points. Herschelle Gibbs conitnues to rule the roost in this particular category with 73 batting points.

After losing the top spots in the overall and batsmen·s rating, Rahul Dravid is now poised to lose his position at the top of the Fielder·s Table as well. The New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has increased his tally of fielding points to 10, just one short of Dravid·s, courtesy the catching practice the Indian batsmen gave him in the recently-concluded series.