Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana returned to the top of the ICC ODI rankings for women batters after a 58-run knock in the series opener against Australia in Mullanpur on Sunday. Mandhana, who failed to notch up a fifty-plus score across three ODIs against England, had lost her place to England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt, who had played a valiant knock of 98, chasing 319 against the Women in Blue in the series finale. However, the elegant left-hander is now four rating points ahead of Sciver-Brunt (731).
Mandhana stitched a 114-run partnership at the top alongside Pratika Rawal, who too continued her good form opening the innings in ODIs. Rawal also rose four spots to 42nd, while Harleen Deol, India's number three, also moved up by five spots to number 43, just next to the opening batter. Among Australians, the Player of the Match, Phoebe Litchfield, achieved her career-best rating points of 572, jumping 13 positions to joint-25th spot.
Litchfield and her fellow teammate Annabel Sutherland were both in 25th position, with the latter earning a four-spot rise. Beth Mooney, who came in at No 4, stroked an unbeaten 77 off just 74 balls and got back into the top five at the fifth spot, forcing her skipper Alyssa Healy out of the top five.
Among bowlers, India's Deepti Sharma dropped three spots out of the top five. Kim Garth and Alana King, who both picked a wicket each in Mullanpur on Sunday, moved up a spot each to fourth and fifth positions. Indian all-rounder Sneh Rana was the biggest gainer among the bowlers, having dismissed Litchfield in the series opener. Rana climbed to the 16th spot from 21st.
Sutherland also earned a couple of spots on the bowling list, while making a short jump of one spot among all-rounders to be in sixth spot. A couple of more games are to be played and with Pakistan and South Africa also set o be involved in a three-match series, there will be a few more movements before the World Cup.
