London, May 24 (IANS): England fast bowler James Anderson has said his team's target of getting to the top of the Test rankings is a realistic one and they will stake their claim for it by beating Sri Lanka and India at home this summer.

Anderson, who played a key role in England's Ashes triumph in Australia, said winning against the number one side and World Champion India and Sri Lanka will take them to the pinnacle of the rankings. England are currently third in the rankings and will get the chance of improving on it in the seven Tests they play against Sri Lanka (three Tests) and India (four).

"We have made no secret of our ambition and our desire to become the best team in the world. That is not just an airy-fairy target. It is our expressed goal and we are serious," Anderson was quoted as saying by The Daily Mail Sunday.

"To do it, the minimum requirement against Sri Lanka and India is to win, but if you want to move up the rankings you need to win convincingly. So, we will set out to win 3-0 and 4-0."

Anderson said the first Test against Sri Lanka at Cardiff Thursday will be a 'massive' one.

"The first game in Cardiff this week will be massive. We don't want to give Sri Lanka a sniff or let them settle into the series. We want to hit them hard from the moment we get on the field either with bat or ball."