Clean sweep will push India to 2nd spot in ICC Test rankings

DUBAI, July 18: A clean sweep in the three-match series against Michael Vaughan's England would not only mark India's rare overseas series triumph but also propel the side to the second spot in the LG ICC Test Championship ladder.
At the same time, Rahul Dravid's men can slip to as low as the seventh spot in case they come a cropper in the series, which gets underway at Lord's on Thursday.
Currently on 102 rating points, Dravid's team can gain nine points to 111 and leapfrog South Africa, Sri Lanka and England, with the latter dropping from 115 to 108 with a clean sweep.
A 2-0 win would lift the Indians to third spot, just behind Michael Vaughan's side, while even a 2-1 or 1-0 series victory would elevate them to fourth and within striking distance of Sri Lanka.
At the same time there is plenty for India to lose if all does not go to plan in England over the course of the next few weeks and it could even end the series as low as seventh on the ladder, according to an ICC release.
A 3-0 or 2-0 win for England would see India drop below Pakistan and New Zealand with just the West Indies and Bangladesh below it on the table.
For the home team, the only way is down as England cannot catch Australia during this series but it could fall to third place if India makes a whitewash.
The hosts are currently on 26 rating points behind Australia and could close that gap to 22 with a 3-0 series win.
Meanwhile, England's bowlers have a real chance of making further progress in the Player Rankings if they do well in these three matches.
Slow left-armer Monty Panesar is currently in a career-best ranking of sixth, equal with team-mate Matthew Hoggard, and either could conceivably rise as high as third if things go their way.
Panesar, in particular, will be full of confidence after a fine series against the West Indies where he took 23 wickets at an average of 18.13. Another such performance will lift him above Shane Bond, Shaun Pollock and even perhaps Anil Kumble into third.
India has a lone representation in the bowlers' top 20 list in Kumble, while Zaheer Khan is currently in 25th spot.
Among the batsmen, Dravid, in eighth position, and Sachin Tendulkar, 16th, will be anxious to move further up the log.