DUBAI, July 9:
Irrespective of their 3-2 win over New Zealand in the five-match series, India continues to languish at the bottom of the ICC Women’s Championship table issued today.
Despite the loss, New Zealand moved up two places to joint fourth following its 2-1 win in the three Championship games that were played at the start of the series in Bangalore.
The White Ferns went into the series second from bottom on four points, but has now leapfrogged Sri Lanka and England and has risen to fifth, a fraction behind Pakistan. India has gained two points but remains rooted to the bottom of the table on five points, marginally below Sri Lanka when net run rates are factored in.
In the final matches in round three England will host early pace-setters Australia later this month as Charlotte Edwards’ side bid to climb the table. England goes into the series knowing that a 3-0 series victory would move it to the top of the table, while Australia can extend its lead with a series win.
The ICC Women’s Championship is a qualifying tournament for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 and is being participated in by Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. The top four sides from the ICC Women’s Championship will gain automatic qualification for the event which is to be staged in England, while the bottom four sides will get a final chance of qualification through the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier in 2017.
The tournament structure sees each team will play each other in one home or away series that will include three ODIs over a two and a half year period. As such, each side is guaranteed at least 21 ODIs over the tournament period.
There was good news for India captain Mithali Raj who has become only the second batter to total 5,000 runs in the history of women’s ODI’s. The other player to achieve this feat is England’s Charlotte Edwards, currently ranked second in the latest ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings for batters, who has an aggregate of 5,829 runs to date.
Mithali achieved several other notable milestones during this series and is now third in the all-time list of women’s captains to pass the 2,500 mark, and currently stands on 2,543 runs, behind Australia great Belinda Clark (4,844) and Edwards (3,343). (PTI)
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