Tendulkar, who last topped the charts in August 2004, replaced Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, the International Cricket Council said on Wednesday.

Tendulkar climbed 10 places after match-winning knocks of 117 not out and 91 in the finals in Sydney and Brisbane respectively to aggregate 399 runs in the series, which ended on Tuesday.

He also holds the records for most one-day runs (16,361) and centuries (42).

Ponting, who made only 191 runs in 10 innings, is second, 17 points ahead of South African Graeme Smith.