Australia, South Africa Face Off With Eye on India's No. 1 ODI Rank
South Africa are behind India by a point while Australia - placed third - are also a point behind in what is an engrossing battle for supremacy in ICC ODI rankings.
Australia and South Africa will be challenging India's No.1 spot in the ICC One-Day International (ODI) team rankings when they go head-to-head in a five-match series in Perth on Friday.
India had jumped to the top spot after they won the second match of the five-game series against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad. And after securing an unassailable 3-0 lead, they are ahead of second-ranked South Africa by one point with Australia one more point behind in the third spot. (India deserves No. 1 ODI rank, says Ganguly)
With the final two ODIs to be played in Kolkata and Ranchi Thursday and Sunday, the reigning World Champions can finish as high as at 117 points (if they win the remaining two ODIs) and as low as 114 if Sri Lanka emerge victorious in both matches.
India will still be No.1 by a fraction of a point if Sri Lanka win Thursday's game. With this in mind, Australia and South Africa will lock horns with 93 days to go for the 2015 World Cup.
If Australia win the series 3-2, they will finish on 115 points while South Africa will drop to 114. However, if the series result is reversed, South Africa will end up on 116 and Australia on 113.
In the event of Australia winning the series 4-1, they will rise to 117 points and South Africa will slip to 112 while the Proteas' victory by the same margin will put them on 118 with the host side dropping to 111.
ODI team rankings:
1. India 116
2. South Africa 115
3. Australia 114
4. Sri Lanka 111
5. England 107
6. Pakistan 98
7. New Zealand 96
8. West Indies 96
9. Bangladesh 69
10 Zimbabwe 58