Australia may have ended up on the losing side in their recent three-match ODI series against South Africa, but several of their players made massive strides in the latest ICC ODI rankings update. Big performances in the final game not only helped them salvage pride but also boosted individual standings.
Batting Gains For Australia
Australia’s batting order fired strongly in the last ODI, with three centuries being recorded:
- Travis Head smashed a blazing 142, which lifted him to joint 11th place in the ODI batting rankings.
- Mitch Marsh, who also struck a superb hundred, moved up four places to 44th.
- Cameron Green, the young all-rounder, played an unbeaten 118* and jumped a staggering 40 spots to reach 78th.
- Josh Inglis, who made a fine 87 off 76 balls in the second ODI, climbed 23 places to 64th.
These gains highlight the depth of Australia’s batting strength, with multiple players stepping up despite the series loss.
Bowlers On The Rise
Australia’s bowlers also saw upward movement in the rankings:
- Sean Abbott rose nine places to reach joint 48th.
- Nathan Ellis impressed with the ball, gaining 21 positions to sit at 65th.
Even though the Proteas dominated the series, the consistent performances of these bowlers provided Australia with positives to carry forward.
Global Rankings Picture
The bowling charts also saw a shake-up elsewhere. Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana joined South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj at the top of the ODI bowling rankings, both sitting on 671 rating points. South African seamer Lungi Ngidi also surged six places to 28th, thanks to his seven wickets across the series.
Meanwhile, India’s Shubman Gill continues to dominate the batting rankings at No.1 with 784 rating points, followed by Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam in second and third.
A Boost Before Upcoming Challenges
Despite losing 2-1, Australia’s individual gains in the ICC ODI rankings are a timely boost ahead of their next assignments. The rise of young stars like Cameron Green and the consistency of Travis Head and Mitch Marsh underline the team’s batting depth. Coupled with improvements from Abbott and Ellis, the Australians will feel more confident heading into upcoming tournaments.