DUBAI, Sept 6: India’s master batsman Sachin Tendulkar has dropped to his lowest ranking in 15 years in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen after a disappointing series against Sri Lanka which concluded in Colombo on Monday.

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

For Sri Lanka, Kumar Sangakkara just missed out on reclaiming the top slot from the West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Like Tendulkar, South Africa’s most accomplished batsman Jacques Kallis has also paid the price for a run of bad form by dropping out of the top 10 for the first time since March 2003.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, South Africa’s Makhaya Ntini has swapped places with England’s Ryan Sidebottom who missed the last Test. Ntini had figures of 7-149 which has put him in clear fifth position while Sidebottom has dropped to sixth after losing one per cent of his rating for missing the match.

England’s Monty Panesar has jumped three places to share 10th place with India captain Anil Kumble.—Agencies