Sachin falls to 15-year low

Sachin Tendulkar has dropped to No. 23, his lowest ranking in 15 years in the latest ICC ranking for Test batsmen.

Tendulkar, who started the Sri Lanka series in 13th position, finished in 23rd place after scoring 95 runs at 15.83.

In fact, he dropped six places after scores of six and 14 in the third and final Test which Sri Lanka won by eight wickets to clinch the series 2-1.

It is his lowest ranking since late 1992 after spending over 15 years in the top 20 apart from a very brief spell at the end of 2006.

Tendulkar, who is just 76 runs short of becoming the leading run-getter in Test cricket history, last occupied the top batting position six years ago after the 2002 Headingley Test in England.

Tendulkar's drop is the only bad news for India batting as others have made good upward progress.

Virender Sehwag has become the highest-ranked India's batsman after returning to the top 10 for the first time since March 2006. Sehwag, who scored an impressive 344 runs in the series, has lifted one place to 10th with Pakistan's Yunus Khan firmly within his sights.

VVS Laxman, who scored 25 and 61 not out in the series decider, has climbed three places to 15th position while Rahul Dravid shares 16th place with England's Alastair Cook. Dravid improves his position by two places after scores of 10 and 68 while Cook jumps four places following his contribution of 39 and 67 in The Oval Test.

Sourav Ganguly has improved his ranking by one place and now sits in 25th position while opener Gautam Gambhir, who was the second leading run-getter for his side with 310 runs, is in 37th place after jumping 12 places.

RECORDS AWAITING SACHIN'S OWNERSHIP IN TEST's

1.SACHIN's 4rd FOUR IN THE FIRST INNINGS,THAT WILL MAKE him ( 1556 * ), THE PLAYER WHO HAS HIT MOST FOURS WITH 1560 FOURS AGAINST HIS NAME , OVERTAKING B.C.LARA AT 1559

2.133 RUNS , IN THE FIRST INNINGS TO BECOME THE HIGHEST RUN AMASSER IN TEST CRCKET HISTORY

3.151 RUNS , TO BECOME THE FIRST PLAYER TO ACHEIVE THE MOST UNIQUE FEAT EVER 10000* RUNS AT NO.4 POSITION SACHIN WILL BE THE FIRST PLAYER TO ACHEIVE 10K AT THE NO.4 POSITION IN TESTSINDIVIDUALLY , THE SECOND HIGHEST SCORER AT ANY POSITION IS WALL AT 7726

4.200*, IN BETWEEN I JUST MISSED OUT ON SACHIN'S 40 TH CENTURY

5.5TH DOUBLE CENTURY
CURRENTLYWALL HAS 5 DOUBLE CENTURIESAND GOD HAS 4 DOUBLE CENTURIESTHE DON TOPS THE LIST WITH 12 OF THEM

6.173* RUNS , TO BECOME THE FIRST PLAYER TO REACH THE EVEREST OF12000 TEST RUNS

7.2 MORE CATCHES, YET ANOTHER CENTURY 98* CATCHES IN TESTS NOW

8.47 6'S IN TEST MATCHES , JUST THREE MORE AWAY FROM A LANDMARK

Sachin out by Umpire

1. 92 - out of a NO ball from Frankline Rose against West Indies in 1997 at Bridgetown.. Remember India lost the test just by 38 runs..U can just imagine how much that bad decision effected the result of the match!!!
2. 83 - Out of a NO ball again..[don’ t remember the bowler] last test in WestIndies in 1997.Draw Test
3. 67- LBW off Crains..last test against NewZealand in 1999, was not out coz the ball pitched outside the legstump.Match Drawn
4. 61 - caught at forward shortleg,bowler Shane Warne.against Australia at Adelaide in 1999.. the ball touched the thigh pads and Umpire Darel Harper gave him out.. India were 107 for 4 when Ganguly joined Sachin and they put on 108 runs for the 5th wicket..
5. 0 - LBW bowler Macgrath..against Australia at Adelaide in 1999,same test, nothing more to say..Everyone remember that FOOLISH
6. 52 - LBW bowler Shane Warne,Umpire David Shepherd,against Australia at Melbourne in 1999, were chasing 356 as a target on the fourth day.
7. 45 - LBW bowler Macgrath,UmpireIan Robinson,against Australia at Sydney in 2000, the ball seemed to hit him too high and was going on leg stump, In that very over,Tendulkar had pulled a short one from Macgrath for two,and hooked the next two for boundaries,and a ball later punched the fast bowler back past him for the 3rd four of the over
8. 16 - caught behind off Waqar Younis,against Pakistan at Perth in 2000, it was must win situation for India to qualify in the final , scored 16 runs of 9 balls,hitted 3 fours in one over of Waqar Younis and 1 off Wasim Akram on the fastest pitch of the world,India were chasing 260 odd runs…
9. 0 - LBW bowler Gillespie,Umpire Bucknor,against Australia at Brisbane in 2003 funny thing is that the bowler not applead for the LBW… MR.Bucknor gave the decision of his own
10. 0 - caught behind off Lee,against Australia at Melbourne in 2003,ball touched the thigh pads and umpire given him out.
11. 54 - caught behind,Umpire Bucknor,against Pakistan at Kolkata in 2005, I think we all seen that decison, theball was not near to his pad,gloves,helmet, arm.. no where…
There may be so many other incident like this…Teams like Australia taking help from the umpires to stop Tendulkar… the 1999-2000 tour of Australia proves it..