New Delhi - As the 2023 World Cup approaches, India has sent a resounding message to the cricketing world. Just days after clinching the 2023 Asia Cup championship, they have now achieved a monumental milestone by securing the coveted World No. 1 position in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings. This accomplishment was marked by their impressive five-wicket victory over Australia in the first match of a three-game ODI series held at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali.
With this victory, India has ascended to the top rank in all three formats of the game, a feat achieved previously only by South Africa in 2014. The Indian cricket team had already claimed the top spots in Test and T20I cricket with 264 and 118 points, respectively. Following their recent triumph, India has also dethroned Pakistan to lead the ODI rankings, breaking the previous tie where both archrivals stood at 115 points, with Australia slightly trailing at 113.
In the match itself, India displayed a formidable performance by restricting Australia to a modest score of 276 after winning the toss and electing to bowl first. The standout performer was Mohammed Shami, who delivered a remarkable five-wicket haul, dismissing key players such as Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Short, and Sean Abbott.
In response, India commenced their innings with a swift start, thanks to the outstanding opening partnership of 142 runs between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shubman Gill. Ruturaj, making his ODI debut as an opener, contributed a sublime 71 off 77 balls, while Gill notched up an impressive 74 off 63 balls. However, Ruturaj's departure triggered a minor setback as Shreyas Iyer was run out, and Shubman was dismissed by Zampa. Despite this, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill steadied the ship with an 80-run partnership, while Suryakumar Yadav recorded his first ODI half-century since February 2022. KL Rahul also contributed an unbeaten half-century to seal India's victory.
If India can maintain their performance and win the series with a 2-1 margin, they will carry the coveted World No. 1 ODI ranking into the upcoming World Cup.