Du Plessis and De Kock Crack ICC ODI Top 10 Ranks After Series Win Against India

Du Plessis has jumped seven places and is level in 10th place by wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock who has vaulted 13 places.

Patel, Zadran and Rabada and Hotak rocket up the bowler rankings as Starc reclaims number-one position

Zimbabwe and Afghanistan players also on the rise

South Africa has retained its third position but has reduced second-ranked India’s advantage to two points in the ICC ODI Team Rankings following its 3-2 series victory, which concluded with a mammoth 214-run victory in Mumbai on Sunday.

The Proteas went into the series on 110 points, five adrift of MS Dhoni’s men, but AB de Villiers’ side fought back after conceding early ground to clinch the series in a dramatic final game.
Meanwhile, as a consequence of the 3-2 home series defeat, Zimbabwe has stayed in 10^th place, a fraction ahead of Ireland, with Afghanistan one more point behind following its historic inaugural series victory over a Test playing country.

By stint of a series of impressive batting displays the top 10 has re-jigged and a number of Proteas batsmen have risen in the ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen. Skipper de Villiers retains his number one ranking, and is now 96 points clear of India’s Virat Kohli in second place, after scoring three centuries (104 not out, 112 and 119) in five matches. Hashim Amla has dropped three places to fifth, while Dhoni has moved up two places to sixth and holds an 11-point advantage over his team-mate Shikhar Dhawan.

There is a career high jump of seven places for François du Plessis who is level in 10^th place by wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock who has vaulted 13 places after scoring 318 runs in the series, including 103 and a match-winning 109 in the decider. There were also gains for Rohit Sharma (up three places to 12^th) and career-high gains for Ajinkya Rahane (up 11 to 27^th) and Farhaan Behardien (up 12 to 76^th).

Following the series in Zimbabwe the following batsmen have also risen up the rankings; Sikandar Raza (up 14 to 40th), Sean Williams (up seven to 44th), Mohammad Nabi (up 19 to a career-high 47th) and Craig Ervine (up 19 to 61^st), while Noor Ali Zadran has broken into the top 100 for the first time after vaulting 26 places to 93^rd.

In the ICC Players Rankings for ODI Bowlers, Australia’s Mitchell Starc has returned to the top of tree as Imran Tahir has slipped four places in the top 10. Dale Steyn has dropped one place to sixth, although Morne Morkel has climbed three places to eighth, and is now six points behind Mitchell Johnson, after claiming seven wickets for 132 runs in three matches.

Ravichandran Ashwin has dropped a place to 10^th, while a number of other bowlers have made significant gains across both series including Akshar Patel (up 19 to 28^th), Amit Mishra (up 13 to 32^nd), Dawlat Zadran (up 69 to a career-high 34^th), Mohit Sharma (up four to 44^th) and young Proteas paceman Kagiso Rabada has risen 58 places to a career-high 49^th after being the joint-leading wicket-taker in the series alongside Steyn with 10.

There were career-high placements for Afghanistan duo Mirwais Ashraf (up 10 to 56^th) and Hamza Hotak (up 56 to 84^th).

The all-rounder list is unchanged with Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan continuing to lead the way on 418 points.

ICC ODI Championship table (as on 26 October, after India-South Africa & Zimbabwe-Afghanistan series):
Rank   Team             Points
1          Australia          127
2          India                114
3          South Africa    112
4          New Zealand   109
5          Sri Lanka         103
6          England           100
7          Bangladesh      96
8          West Indies      88
9          Pakistan           88
10        Zimbabwe       46
11        Ireland             46
12        Afghanistan     45

(Developed by David Kendix)

ICC ODI PLAYER RANKINGS (as on 26 October, after India-South Africa & Zimbabwe-Afghanistan series):

Batsmen (top 10)

Rank    (+/-)       Player               Team       Pts         Ave        HS Rating
   1           ( - )          AB de Villiers        SA           900        54.21     902 v NZ at Auckland 2015
   2           (+1)         Virat Kohli            Ind          804        50.60     886 v Ban at Fatullah 2014
   3           (+1)         K. Williamson       NZ          788        48.02     798 v SA at Centurion 2015
   4           (+1)         T. Dilshan              SL           781        39.71     802 v Sco at Hobart 2015
   5           (-3)          Hashim Amla       SA           776        52.70     901 v Eng at Trent Bridge 2012
   6           (+2)         MS Dhoni              Ind          741        52.26     836 v Aus at Delhi 2009
   7           (-1)          S. Dhawan            Ind          730        42.93     794 v SA at Melbourne 2015
   8           (-1)          Ross Taylor          NZ          728        43.91     743 v Zim at Harare 2015
   9           ( - )          Glenn Maxwell     Aus         717        34.88     724 v Pak at Adelaide 2015
  10=       (+7)         F. du Plessis           SA           715!       39.65     715 v Ind at Mumbai 2015
                (+13)      Q. de Kock            SA           715        39.86     749 v Aus at Sydney 2014

Selected rankings

Rank     (+/-)     Player               Team        Pts         Ave        HS Rating
  12         (+3)         Rohit Sharma       Ind          702        39.71     715 v SA at Rajkot 2015
  24         (-6)          Suresh Raina        Ind          625        35.46     669 v Eng at Dharamsala 2013
  27         (+11)      Ajinkya Rahane  Ind          609!       32.53     609 v SA at Mumbai 2015
  33         (-7)          David Miller          SA           592        34.98     635 v Ban at Mirpur 2015
  35         (-1)          JP Duminy            SA           573        38.98     668 v Net at Mohali 2011
  40         (+14)      Sikandar Raza     Zim         563        34.05     576 v Afg at Bulawayo 2015
  44         (+7)         Sean Williams      Zim         547        33.62     556 v Ind at Auckland 2015
  47         (+19)      M. Nabi                 Afg         541!       30.71     541 v Zim at Bulawayo 2015
  61         (+19)      Craig Ervine          Zim         506*      38.54     524 v Afg at Bulawayo 2015
  76         (+12)      F. Behardien         SA           479*!    29.95     479 v Ind at Mumbai 2015
  92         (+1)         A. Stanikzai          Afg         429        24.23     450 v SL at Dunedin 2015
  93         (+26)      N. Ali Zadran        Afg         424*!    30.61     424 v Zim at Bulawayo 2015

Bowlers (top 10)

Rank     (+/-)      Player              Team       Pts          Ave      Econ       HS Rating
   1           (+1)         Mitchell Starc       Aus         713        19.65     4.85       783 v NZ at Melbourne 2015
   2           (+1)         Sunil Narine          WI          709        26.49     4.10       791 v SL at Jamaica 2013
   3           (+1)         Trent Boult           NZ          705*      24.08     4.64       738 v Eng at The Oval 2015
   4           (+2)         S. Al Hasan           Ban        690        28.35     4.30       717 v Zim at Chittagong 2009
   5           (-4)          Imran Tahir          SA           688        22.94     4.49       735 v SL at Sydney 2015
   6           (-1)          Dale Steyn            SA           682        25.93     4.86       746 v Ind at Durban 2013
   7           ( - )          M. Johnson           Aus         672        25.26     4.83       724 v Ban at Darwin 2008
   8           (+3)         Morne Morkel      SA           666        23.98     4.90       717 v SL at East London 2012
   9           (-1)          Saeed Ajmal         Pak         655        22.73     4.18       810 v SA at Centurion 2013
  10         (-1)          R. Ashwin              Ind          640        31.27     4.81       691 v SL at Hambantota 2012

Selected rankings

Rank     (+/-)        Player             Team       Pts         Ave       Econ      HS Rating
  12         (+1)         M. Shami              Ind          604        24.89     5.54       654 v Ban at Melbourne 2015
  15         (-5)          B. Kumar              Ind          597        36.45     4.82       657 v WI at Dharamsala 2014
  28         (+19)      Akshar Patel         Ind          550*      28.82     4.73       559 v SA at Chennai 2015
  32         (+13)      Amit Mishra         Ind          537*      26.44     4.71       570 v Zim at Bulawayo 2013
  34         (+69)      Dawlat Zadran     Afg         534*!    30.46     5.46       534 v Zim at Bulawayo 2015
  41         (-7)          Tendai Chatara   Zim         507*      34.29     5.20       562 v Ire at Hobart 2015
  42         (-6)          M. Nabi                 Afg         500        41.04     4.34       564 v Ire at Dubai (GCA) 2015
  44         (+4)         Mohit Sharma      Ind          496*      32.90     5.45       506 v SA at Chennai 2015
  49         (+58)      Kagiso Rabada    SA           485*!    20.23     4.87       485 v Ind at Mumbai 2015
  56         (+10)      Mirwais Ashraf    Afg         477*!    33.75     4.08       477 v Zim at Bulawayo 2015
  84         (+56)      Hamza Hotak      Afg         424*!    23.85     3.85       424 v Zim at Bulawayo 2015
  98         (+5)         Harbhajan Singh Ind          402*      33.35     4.60       735 v WI at Barbados 2002

All-rounders
  Rank     (+/-)      Player                Team      Pts        HS Rating
   1           ( - )          Shakib Al Hasan Ban         418        453 v Zim at Chittagong 2009
   2           ( - )          T. Dilshan              SL          379        415 v Sco at Hobart 2015
   3           ( - )          Angelo Mathews  SL          375        427 v Eng at Colombo (RPS) 2014
   4           ( - )          M. Hafeez             Pak        353        438 v Ind at Kolkata 2013
   5           ( - )          Glenn Maxwell     Aus        348        351 v Eng at Headingley 2015



Source: ICC
  

Morkel and De Kock Powers South Africa To Take Lead Against India

India goes down by 18 runs from position of strength as visitor grabs 2-1 lead with brilliant bowling display

It was meant to be a batting paradise. But when all was said and done, it was the bowlers that had the last laugh in the third One-Day International between India and South Africa at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium. 

South Africa had scratched and clawed to 270 for 7 after Quinton de Kock's magnificent century and his 118-run third-wicket stand with Faf du Plessis (60) had set up a platform from it they had looked good for so much more. The bowlers, led by Morne Morkel (4 for 39), then upset all calculations on a fascinating Sunday (October 18) filled with twists and turns. 

Rohit Sharma gave India a wonderful start with a stroke-filled 65. Virat Kohli (77) and MS Dhoni (47) then seemed to have the chase under control for so long while adding 80 for the third wicket in 112 deliveries that few would have expected the host to crumble. But crumble India did as Morkel made deep inroads, finishing on 252 for 6, conceding the match by 18 runs and going 1-2 down in the five-match series. 

With what was thought to be a no more than a par score to defend, the last thing South Africa needed was shoddy fielding. Rohit had already cracked four lovely boundaries, laced with elegance and exquisite timing when Morkel let a straightforward catch go past him off JP Duminy. Three deliveries later, Duminy was again denied a wicket when he found Dhawan's outside edge, only for AB de Villiers, temporarily donning the big gloves in the absence of de Kock who had cramped up while batting, to spill it.

While the reprieve to Dhawan didn't prove costly as Morkel found his outside edge with one that moved away, Rohit wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. There was the nonchalant sweep, the lofted hit down the ground, and the heave over the on-side as Rohit began unfurling his incredible range of strokes. The fifty came in trademark fashion as he picked the length of an Imran Tahir delivery early and smashed it over long-off. 

Then, Rohit departed in tame fashion, giving Duminy the simplest of return catches. Duminy created the opportunity, though, dragging the length back on seeing the batsman giving him the charge. 

Like South Africa earlier in the day, India chose to throw in an element of surprise, with Kohli walking in ahead of Ajinkya Rahane at No. 3. Kohli played a critical role, rotating the strike to take the pressure off Rohit. Kohli cut out the big strokes, running hard between the wickets. And with Dhoni for company, the duo unfailingly rotated the strike, punishing only the bad balls.

With neither batsman attempting anything extravagant, de Villiers spreading his field and choked the flow of boundaries. Sure enough, the required rate mounted and the first signs of aggression did not come until after the 35th over. But the duo's repeated attempts to clear the ground were foiled masterfully by intelligent bowling as South Africa kept banging the ball in, bowling at the body and packing the on-side field. Even as the apprehension in the Indian camp grew, South Africa walked with a spring in its step and the belief was almost tangible.

Anxious moments followed, with de Kock missing a stumping off Duminy after the bat flew out of a charging Dhoni's hands. Dhoni then bludgeoned one back to Duminy, whose only hope would have been for the ball to stick, which it didn't. 

Dhoni found the fence a couple of times but with the rate mounting alarming, Morkel got the Indian skipper to hole out to short third-man off a short ball. By then, the required rate had climbed to 10, a difficult task on a surface where the ball wasn’t coming on at all. South Africa's excellent bowling and strategic field placements forced the Indian batsmen to press the panic button. Kohli and Rahane fell to Morkel, attempting pull strokes, while Suresh Raina was caught in the deep off Tahir. When Rahane fell with 28 deliveries left, India was 55 away. But with just Axar Patel and the tail to follow, the writing was on the wall. 

When the day began, South Africa took a fair few by surprise by sending out de Kock and David Miller, their two least effective batsmen in the series, to open. Du Plessis had reassuringly spoken of the faith South Africa had in Miller and he did his best to justify that, playing strokes that had zing.

De Kock's return to form could not have come at a better time. He was circumspect to begin with, the ball finding his edge often despite the easy-paced nature of the surface. It wasn't until a flicked six over backward square-leg off Bhuvneshwar Kumar that de Kock grew in confidence. 

De Kock pierced the gaps consistently, driving and punching with precision, while opening up at the slightest hint of width or shortening of length.   

India missed as many as four opportunities to end his partnership with du Plessis. First, Mohit Sharma overstepped when an impatient du Plessis holed out to long-on on 15 off a slower ball. Raina then failed to hold on to a leading edge off Patel before Dhawan spilled a tough chance at short-cover with du Plessis on 53.

Dhoni could ill-afford to place attacking fields and wicket-taking options were limited, which meant India had to convert the half-chances. India failed to capitalise on another such opportunity when a du Plessis pull resulted in the ball dying on a diving Dhawan and escaping beneath his fingers. When du Plessis eventually fell, it was due to his own undoing, losing balance on the scoop off Mohit and finding short third-man.

De Kock, had in the meantime, raised his century with a slap through covers. But as is the case with most big partnerships, he followed suit soon, run out after a late response to a call from AB de Villiers.   

Amit Mishra was the most wily and accurate of India's bowlers, deceptive in flight and keeping the batsmen guessing by bowling slower through the air. Mishra had Hashim Amla stumped when the batsman dragged his foot outside after missing the drive, leaving de Kock to play sheet anchor. 

Once he and du Plessis fell, the onus was on de Villiers, who walked out to a rousing welcome that reiterated how popular he was in this part of the world. Patel ensured a short stay for de Villiers, trapping him leg before with an arm-ball, but Farhaan Behardien played smartly at the end to put up those extra few runs that made the difference in the end.
Source: ICC