DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, (CMC) – Pugnacious opener Chris Gayle’s poor form since his monumental triple century has seen him plummet five places in the latest International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Test batting rankings. The left-hander, who hammered 333 in the first Test of the recent three-match series against Sri Lanka, dropped five places to 19th following a run of average scores in the second and third Tests.

Gayle managed just 30 and three in Colombo and a first ball “duck” in the rain-ravaged third Test in Kandy, to finish the series, in which all three matches finished in tame draws after rain intervened, with 366 runs.

Veteran left-hander Shiv  Chanderpaul has also slipped in the rankings following his modest form where he gathered a mere 94 runs from four innings, falling two places to eight, as he managed just one half-century in the second Test in Colombo.

Left-handed stroke-maker Darren Bravo, meanwhile, has moved into rankings for the first time following an impressive debut series.

The 21-year-old scored a half-century in each of the three Tests, gathering 206 runs at an average of 68, to move to 69th in the rankings.

West Indies vice-captain Brendan Nash has also moved to 43rd in the rankings after scoring two half-centuries in the series which saw Sri Lanka’s captain Kumar Sangakkara, scoring the lone century for the hosts, as he remains on top of the rankings.

Meanwhile, fast bowler Jerome Taylor remains the highest ranked West Indies bowler at 18th despite having not played Tests in a year.
South African Dale Steyn continues to lead the rankings with England off-spinner Graeme Swann still in second spot.

BATSMAN:
1 Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 882
2 Sachin Tendulkar (IND) 859
3 Virender Sehwag (IND) 850
4 Jacques Kallis (SA) 806   
5 AB de Villiers (SA) 793
6 Jonathan Trott (ENG) 785
7 Mahela Jayawardena  (SL) 781
8 Shiv Chanderpaul (WI) 779
9 Graeme Smith (SA) 766
10 Thilan Samaraweera (SL) 763
19 Chris Gayle (WI) 709

BOWLING:
1 Dale Steyn (SA) 860
2 Graeme Swann (ENG) 846
3 James Anderson (ENG) 756
4 Zaheer Khan (IND) 743
5 Mohammad Asif (PAK) 738
6 Morne Morkel (SA) 729
7 Mitchell Johnson (AUS) 679
8 Harbhajan Singh (IND) 658
9 Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) 648
10 Mohammad Amir (PAK) 645
18 Jerome Taylor (WI) 563