Calcutta: Team India have retained second place in the ICC Test Championship table after drawing the three-Test series against South Africa in Kanpur on Sunday.

India had come into the final Test facing the possibility of slipping to fourth on the ladder after South Africa won the second Test in Ahmedabad by an innings and 90 runs following a drawn first Test in Chennai.

However, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma and Virender Sehwag shared 16 wickets between them while Man-of-the-Match Sourav Ganguly and V.V.S. Laxman stroked half-centuries to script an eight-wicket victory in Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s first Test as India captain.

The series result means India have successfully defended the position they claimed at the conclusion of their tour of Australia earlier this year while South Africa now lie third after entering the series in fourth position.

TEST RANKINGS

1. Australia (141), 2. India (111), 3. South Africa (109), 4. England (108), 5. Sri Lanka (106), 6. Pakistan (94), 7. New Zealand (91), 8. West Indies (77), 9. Bangladesh (1).