DUBAI : India become No.1 ODI team with series sweep over New Zealand

DUBAI : A new season. A new beginning. And India start the dawn of a new era in ODI cricket. Team India dished out a comprehensive performance to inflict a 3-0 whitewash on New Zealand and go top of the ICC ODI rankings on Tuesday.

India recorded back to back ODI series clean sweeps at home. India had blanked Sri Lanka before registering 3-0 sweep against the Black Caps.
India dislodged England, who became the number one ranked-team merely three days back following New Zealand’s loss to India in the second ODI, to become the numero uno team in the ODIs.

Winning home bilateral ODI series has become more than just a habit for the Men in Blue. Incredibly, since 2009, in 27 home bilateral series that India have played, the team has won 24 and lost only 3.
Shubman Gill’s purple patch continued with the Indian opener slamming yet another century, second of the series. Gill (112 off 78) scored his fourth ODI hundred to power India to a mammoth 385/9.

Rohit Sharma (101) also ended his three-year century drought by smashing his 30th ODI ton that pits him alongside former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, who also has the same number of centuries in 375 games.

 In reply, New Zealand top-order put up a much better show. Devon Conway (138) stitched crucial partnerships but Shardul Thakur (3/45) and Kuldeep Yadav (3/62) regularly struck to bowl out the Black Caps for 295 in 41.2 overs.

England are now behind India with New Zealand slipping to fourth spot. All three teams were tied on 113 points before Tuesday’s match, with their overall points the deciding differential.

India now have 114 rating points ahead of England’s 113, while Australia move up into third place with 112 rating points.

But England will have a chance to retain the top spot if they manage to win their upcoming ODI series against South Africa 3-0.