Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has returned to the top of the ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen.

He climbed to the top position following his match-saving performance in the third Test against Pakistan in Colombo.

The 31-year-old compiled 130 not out in the second innings to go with his 45 the first time around and that was enough to lift him two places, above India's Gautam Gambhir, who had been enjoying number-one position, and Pakistan skipper Younus Khan, who drops four places from second to sixth place in the latest rankings.

There has been quite a bit of movement in the top 10 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul of the West Indies and Australia's Michael Clarke both benefiting from Younus's slip down the order.

Despite his 79 in the first innings of the third Test, former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardena drops one place to ninth position, just behind Graeme Smith of South Africa.

Kaneria gains three places

Danish Kaneria marked an impressive return to form in Colombo by gaining three places in the ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers and he now sits in 16th position, not far behind Jerome Taylor of the West Indies in 15th and England's Andrew Flintoff one place further ahead.

The 28-year-old leg-spinner took seven wickets in the match including 5-62 in the first innings, which was enough to move him above Umar Gul of Pakistan, Chris Martin of New Zealand and South Africa's Jacques Kallis.

In fact, Umar dropped no fewer than four places to 19th position after taking just one wicket in the match. Another bowler to lose out was veteran left-armer Chaminda Vaas, who drops out of the top 10 following what was his final Test match.

Rangana Herath moves up six places to 42nd in the bowling rankings after his impressive five-wicket haul in the second innings. But the list is still headed by South Africa's Dale Steyn with Muttiah Muralidaran of Sri Lanka not far behind.

There was no change in the top five of the ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders with Kallis still leading the way from Mitchell Johnson of Australia in second place and New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori third.