Australia claimed the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings with a narrow three-wicket victory against South Africa in the opening ODI on Thursday. This win took Australia to surpass Pakistan, who previously held the No. 1 position, as both teams now share 119 points. Pakistan now hold the second position in the rankings, while India follows closely behind with 114 points. The Men In Green will have a chance to reclaim the top position if they defeat arch-rivals India in the Asia Cup Super 4 match scheduled for Sunday.
Australia secured a comprehensive three-wicket the first ODI against South Africa after previously dominating the T20I series with a 3-0 win. After Australia skipper, Mitchell Marsh won the toss and chose to bowl, saw South Africa struggle to a total of 222 runs.
Although Proteas’ captain Temba Bavuma showed remarkable resilience with an unbeaten 114, marking his second ODI century, he received limited support from other batters. The Australian pace bowler, Josh Hazlewood, delivered an impressive performance, taking three crucial wickets. Bavuma became only the second South African cricketer to remain unbeaten throughout an entire men’s ODI innings after Herschelle Gibbs.
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During Australia’s chase, the team had a shaky start and found themselves at 113 for the loss of seven wickets by the 17th over. However, the remarkable partnership of Marnus Labuschagne, who remained unbeaten with 80 runs, and Ashton Agar, who achieved a career-best 48 not out, turned the tide in Australia’s favor. Their partnership steered Australia towards its first ODI victory in South Africa since 2011.
The second Australia vs South Africa ODI match will commence at the same venue on Saturday, September 09 at 9 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST).
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