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India has dropped down one place to fourth in the ICC Test Championships table after the annual update released today, which reflects the performance of only the last three years with the older results being discarded.

Sri Lanka, riding on its Test series win over Pakistan, leveled India (119) on points but replaced Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team at number three after re-calculation upto the nearest decimal -- 0.01 ratings points difference.

Australia (124) clung on to the top above second-placed South Africa (122) as just five ratings points separate top four teams. But Ricky Ponting's men must win both the remaining Ashes Tests to stay there.

Otherwise, it will be Graeme Smith's turn to lead the number-one Test team in the world. Australia has led the Test rankings ever since the current method was introduced in May 2003.

The progress of Kumar Sangakkara's team is due to a consistently high performance during the period of the rankings. In that time, the team has played 10 series, winning six, drawing three and losing just one (in Australia).

No matter how the Ashes finishes, England (99) will remain in fifth position but if the home side wins the series, Australia will drop to fourth position in the Test Championship table.

If the series ends in a 1-1 draw, South Africa will rise to the top. Australia, Sri Lanka and India will all have the same rating, but with Australia still clinging on to second place by a decimal point.

In the batting list, Gautam Gambhir remained on second spot with 847 points behind Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara (862).

Sachin Tendulkar (15th), VVS Laxman (17th) and Virender Sehwag (19th) are the other Indian batsmen in the top 20.

Among bowlers, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan are in top 10 at sixth and ninth respectively while Ishant Sharma is in 19th in the list headed by South African Dale Steyn.

The annual update is carried out to ensure the ICC Test Championship table continues to reflect recent form with older results being discarded.

The table reflects all Test series that were completed since August three years ago. All series played until the start of next August will be added to this table, so by then the ratings will be based on four years of results, with series completed within the last two years carrying greater weight.

Next August the first year of results will be dropped and this pattern is repeated each August, with the oldest of the four years of results removed to be gradually replaced with results of series completed over the following 12 months.

Thus, once a year, the rankings change overnight without any new series being completed.

Captain Andrew Strauss said that England can win the Ashes series without their maverick all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.

Flintoff, who will retire after the series, has been on pain killers to ease the inflamation on his troublesome right knee.

Flintoff was clearly struggling during the third Test at Edgbaston and is now facing a race against time to prove his fitness before the fourth Test begins at Headingley Friday.

Asked whether England could win the series without Flintoff, Strauss said: 'Yes, I think we can - we've had to (go without Flintoff) plenty of times over the last two years, so it wouldn't be anything new to us.'

'Generally, the bowlers have stepped up when he hasn't played but at the moment he's in great nick with both ball and bat so we don't want to play without him if we can help it. We will have to swing with the punches we get and if that is the case then I think we've got a good enough squad to be able to deal with that,' Strauss was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.

Strauss said that Flintoff has been honest about his body, but is desperate to play the last two games.

'But I think he realises that if he's not fit, then he won't help us,' Strauss said.

England bolstered their bowling options by naming Ryan Sidebottom as well as Steve Harmison in a 14-man squad for the fourth Ashes test against Australia at Headingley starting this week.

England, who lead the series 1-0 with two matches remaining, also included uncapped Warwickshire batsman Jonathan Trott in the squad for the match starting on Friday. Spinner Monty Panesar was left out.

Harmison could replace Andrew Flintoff should his knee injury rule him out, while Sidebottom comes into the squad just as Stuart Broad's place in the team has come into doubt after a disappointing series so far with the ball.

England bolstered their bowling options by naming Ryan Sidebottom and Steve Harmison in a 14-man squad for the fourth Ashes test against Australia at Headingley starting this week.

England, who lead the series 1-0 with two matches remaining, also included uncapped Warwickshire batsman Jonathan Trott in the squad for the match starting on Friday.

Monty Panesar was left out meaning Graeme Swann will provide captain Andrew Strauss with the spinning option on what is normally a seamer-friendly pitch.

Harmison could replace Andrew Flintoff should the Lancashire all rounder's knee injury rule him out, while left-arm seamer Sidebottom comes into the squad just as Stuart Broad's place has come under threat after a disappointing series with the ball.

Sidebottom has not featured in a test since this year's tour of West Indies.

"We will need to carefully assess the pitch and the overhead conditions at Headingley before finalising our 11 for this test and the inclusion of Stephen Harmison and Ryan Sidebottom will give us different types of pace bowling options," the ECB's national selector Geoff Miller said.

"Both players have been in good form for their counties in recent weeks and as selectors we are delighted that competition for places in the side is so strong."

Miller said they would not rush a decision on the 31-year-old Flintoff who ended up wicket-less at Edgbaston but hit form with the bat, with a fluent 74.

"We will continue to closely monitor Andrew Flintoff's fitness in the build-up to Headingley," Miller said.

"His right knee will be reassessed by our medical staff over the next 48 hours and no final decision on his availability will be taken until closer to the start of the test match."

England's team director Andy Flower said the inclusion of South Africa born Trott did not mean Ravi Bopara's place at number three was under threat.

"We might want the extra batsman," Flower told Sky Sports News. "Ravi will bat at number three definitely at Headingley but Trott will be there if we want to pick a sixth batter if Flintoff is injured."

"We have planned for the eventuality if Flintoff does pull out but he is pretty confident he will be okay," added Flower on Flintoff's chances of recovering from the exertions of Edgbaston. "He is a strong bloke, he has a strong body and a strong mind and a strong will and he definitely wants to play these last two test matches."

Squad:

Andrew Strauss (captain), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Graham Onions, Matt Prior, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott.