India achieve historic rankings feat after first ODI win
India achieved a historic feat in the cricketing world after their first One Day International (ODI) win against Australia.
This victory propelled India to the No. 1 spot in the MRF Tyres Men's ODI Team Rankings.
With 116 rating points, they surpassed their arch-rivals Pakistan, who had 115 points, to become the top-ranked ODI team. Australia remained in third place with 111 points.
This win also meant that India now held the No. 1 ranking across all three formats of the game: Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.
This remarkable achievement marked only the second time in men's cricketing history that a team had achieved this status across all formats. Previously, South Africa had accomplished this feat in August 2012.
In the first ODI against Australia, India secured a convincing five-wicket victory. Mohammed Shami's exceptional five-wicket haul was the highlight of India's bowling performance, with stand-in captain KL Rahul choosing to field first.
In response, Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad put up a 142-run opening partnership, each scoring a fifty.
Despite losing a few wickets in the middle overs, fifties from Rahul and Surykumar Yadav ensured India's triumph.
The road to becoming the No. 1 ODI team had been competitive, with India, Pakistan, and Australia vying for the top spot during events like the Asia Cup and Australia's ODI series against South Africa.
Despite not making it to the Asia Cup Final, Pakistan had held onto their No. 1 ranking.
However, with this win, Australia's chances of reaching the top ranking position were eliminated, while Pakistan still had a chance if Australia won the remaining two matches.
India now stands in a favorable position to retain the No. 1 ODI ranking heading into the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, which they will be hosting.
Their dominance in cricket extends to Tests and T20Is as well, making them a formidable force in the cricketing world.