Dubai : The number one tag still eludes them but newly-crowned cricket world champions India have closed the gap on top-placed Australia even as team`s in-form players moved up in individual standings of latest ICC ODI rankings.
India (121) are now just seven points behind Australia, even though Micheal Clarke`s men have chance to increase lead over 2011 champions as they have a three-match series against Bangladesh starting next week.
World Cup runners-up Sri Lanka remained third but with an increase in ratings points of two, taking Kumar Sangakkara`s side to 118 points, while South Africa sit in fourth, the ICC said in a statement.
In individual rankings, Sachin Tendulkar & Gautam Gambhir moved up. Tendulkar has risen a place to ninth while Gambhir`s hard-fought 97 runs against Sri Lanka in cricket World Cup final seen 29-year-old rise four places to 10th. Sri Lanka`s Tillekeratne Dilshan has risen to his career best ranking to date and is occupying third position on rankings after scoring most runs in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 - a total of 500.
Sangakkara still occupies fourth place, India`s Yuvraj Singh, Player of the World Cup, remained in joint 17th place with Australia captain Ricky Ponting, the latter having risen six places. Other batsmen moving in right direction are England`s Jonathan Trott in fifth (up by four places), South Africa`s Jacques Kallis in 12th (up by three places), Ross Taylor in 19th (up by one place), Upul Tharanga in 26 (up three places), Mahela Jayawardena in 28th (up by three places), India`s Suresh Raina in 31st place (up by four places), Misbahul-Haq in 36th place (up by three places) & Jesse Ryderin 42nd (up by 13 places). South African duo of Hashim Amla & AB de Villiers continue to occupy top two positions.
In ODI bowlers rankings, Sri Lanka`s Ajantha Mendis is one of big movers with spin bowler rising nine places to take eighth, a position he last occupied in 2009.
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has climbed five places to ninth, while India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh risen two to sit 18th on the list.
Pakistan`s Saeed Ajmal rocketed up nine places to 20th, while just outside top-20 Sri Lanka`s Lasith Malinga risen three places and is now sitting in joint 25th position with South Africa`s Johan Botha. New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori leads Zimbabwe`s Ray Price by 23 ratings points with England`s Graeme Swann in third and South Africa`s Dale Steyn in fourth.
The only change in top five of all-rounders list is drop of South Africa`s Jacques Kallis to fifth andascension of Yuvraj to fourth place. Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan leads field with Shane Watson of Australia in second and Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi in third.
