Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen have benefitted from good formEngland's Ian Bell has moved into the top five of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen for the first time in his career following his double-hundred in the fourth and final match of the series against India at the Oval.As England claimed the title of number-one Test side in the world with a 4-0 series victory, several of its players have made their own moves up the players' ladder with Bell the most notable. The Warwickshire batsman scored 235 and in the process gains four positions to move level with team-mate Alistair Cook in third.Kevin Pietersen's 175 in the same match is enough for him to return to the top 10 as he moves up five places to eighth spot. England can now boast six bowlers in the top 20 and four batsmen in the top 10.As he has done so well of late, India's Rahul Dravid fought hard against the otherwise rampant England bowlers and while his 146 not out in the first innings was not enough to save the match for his team, it did earn him four places on the log and a position at number 10.
The news is not so positive for most of his team-mates, however, with Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni all losing ground in a list that has South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis at the top and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara second.And the knock-on effect of India's failures with the bat has been that England's bowlers have reaped the reward. Three of the top five bowlers represent England as Graeme Swann gains two places to third position with James Anderson in second and Stuart Broad in fifth.
Tim Bresnan moves up five places to 11th overall as South Africa's Dale Steyn leads the way.There is no change in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders as Kallis still sets the standard and England's Stuart Broad lies second
