Dubai, Nov. 24 : Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has moved up 18 places in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers after a man-of-the-match performance in the first Test against New Zealand in Brisbane.

The 27-year-old left-armer registered match figures of 9-69 in 25.3 overs – the best figures of his career to date – as Australia beat its trans-Tasman rival by 149 runs at the ’Gabba.

That effort means Johnson moves up to 12th position as he enjoys his highest rating yet, level with New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori.

Brett Lee, however, has slipped out of the top five bowlers into sixth position. The top spot is still occupied by Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan with Dale Steyn of South Africa in second place and Australian Stuart Clark in third place.

Proteas skipper Graeme Smith has broken into the top 10 following his performance in the first Test against Bangladesh at Bloemfontein. The 27-year-old hit 157 for his country in the first innings, which went a long way towards ensuring an innings victory for South Africa.

Smith gains three places to ninth in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen with Australia’s Matthew Hayden and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis both dropping out of the top 10.

Smith’s team-mate Ashwell Prince also gained three places, to 17th position, after an unbeaten half-century in that match, while Hashim Amla has gone up two places to
25th position after hitting a century.

For Australia, Simon Katich’s outstanding innings of 131 not out in the second innings against New Zealand was a crucial factor in his side’s victory as many of his team-mates seemed to struggle with the bat. This knock has elevated Katich up seven places and he now looks poised, in 26th position, to launch an assault on the top 20 for the first time.

Vice-captain Michael Clarke is now in 14th position, ahead of England’s Alastair Cook but behind VVS Laxman of India after a fighting 98 in the first innings of the first Test against New Zealand at the Gabba.

It was not a particularly memorable match for New Zealand’s batsmen with one notable exception. Number-four batsman Ross Taylor’s efforts of 40 and 75 earn him 12 places and he now sits in 31st position on the highest rating of his life so far.

Top of the ladder is Shivnarine Chanderpaul of the West Indies, followed in second place by Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka. (ANI)