Australia reclaim No. 1 ODI spot from India after 4-1 series win against England

Australia won the series 4-1 and became No. 1 ODI side again this week

In a week of exchanges at the top of the table, Australia have taken back the No. 1 position in ICC ODI team rankings from India after defeating England in the 5th and final ODI at Adelaide, winning the series 4-1.

England, needing 218 to win, folded out for 212 after a dramatic collapse at the end of their innings.

With 15 overs left in the game, England were on course for a win, needing only 70 runs and with 7 wickets still in hand. However, a brace from James Faulkner, accounting for well set Joe Root and Eoin Morgan, started a slide for England.

James Faulkner and Clint McKay kept it tight in the end, giving little room to any of the late hitters. Ravi Bopara, who remained defiant despite watching the batting collapse at the other end, was victim of a very fortuitous stumping from Matthew Wade, and was out by a mere frame with England just 9 runs away from the target.

Some mindless running and loose shots cost England the match and made Australia the No. 1 ODI team in the world after their reign earlier this week following India’s 2nd consecutive loss in New Zealand, had lasted just over two days, with the Perth loss putting them back at No.2.

Earlier, Australia too struggled on a sluggish wicket, and were guilty of throwing away their wickets against a disciplined England attack. Only a balanced innings from George Bailey pushed them to 217, which turned out to be enough in the end.

Brief Scores:

Australia (George Bailey 56, Shaun Marsh 36; Stuart Broad 2-31) 217/9

beat

England (Joe Root 55, Eoin Morgan 39; Nathan Courter-Nile 3-34) 212 all out

by 5 runs

Man of the Match: James Faulkner (2 wickets and 27 runs)

With the 3rd ODI in New Zealand ending in a tie, this win puts Australia and India both at 117 points, but with Australia nudging ahead when decimal points are taken into consideration.

The only way India can become No. 1 again is by winning the remaining 2 ODIs, and drawing the series 2-2 with New Zealand.

Here are the latest ODI rankings: