Pacer Lee makes huge strides

Australia pace bowler Brett Lee has achieved the highest rating of his career of fourth in the ICC player rankings for Test bowlers following the Test series against India.

Lee, who was named the Man of the Series, played a big role in securing a 2-1 series win for Australia, taking 24 wickets at an average of 22.58.

That effort has continued his rise and he now sits on 795 ratings points, poised to become the fourth bowler in the world currently beyond the magic 800-point mark.

It is all part of a steady progress for the 31-year-old New South Welshman over the past year or so.

He is ahead of South Africa's Makhaya Ntini and now has another South African Dale Steyn and compatriot Stuart Clark in his sights. It is interesting to note that 12 months ago Lee was in the 15th position.

Clark has exchanged places again with Steyn after the drawn Adelaide Test when he failed to take a wicket. It remains very close between them, though, with just three ratings points separating Steyn and Clark. And now they have Lee breathing down their necks.

However, he still has a long way to go before he catches up with Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, whose remarkable run at the top continues without, it seems, any wavering in form from the record-breaking off-spinner.

In the rankings for Test batsmen, Michael Clarke of Australia and India's Sachin Tendulkar have both gained one place in the top 20 and now sit on 11th and 12th positions, respectively.

Clarke scored 118 in Adelaide, his sixth Test century, while Tendulkar excelled in the first innings, stroking a masterful 153, registering his 39th hundred in Test matches. Tendulkar is currently enjoying his highest Test ranking for two years.

Andrew Symonds fell three places and out of the top 20 to 21st position after a relatively disappointing match with the bat for the Queenslander.

Meanwhile, Ricky Ponting retains fourth spot and is moving in the right direction again having returned to form with a beautifully constructed century.

India captain Anil Kumble has progressed four places up the rankings for Test allrounders and is now in seventh position, enjoying the highest rating of his career to date.

Kumble took only one wicket in Australia's first innings, but hit 87 and 9 not out in the match to put pressure on the top five in the allrounders' list.

That means, with Irfan Pathan currently occupying sixth place, India can boast two Test all-rounders in the top seven.

Kallis still heads the rankings, followed by Andrew Flintoff of England in second and New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori in third place.