Mithali, Jhulan lose number-one rankings

Dubai: India’s Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami have lost their number-one rankings in the Reliance ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings for batters and bowlers, respectively after a disappointing series against the West Indies which finished earlier this week.

The West Indies women won the series played in St Kitts by 2-1.

Mithali had entered the series leading West Indies’ Stafanie Taylor by 11 rankings points. The India vice-captain managed scores of 57, 22 and six while the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2011 contributed one, 75 and 23.

As such, Mithali dropped 31 ratings points while Taylor gained five ratings points which were enough to put the 20-year-old ahead of the former India captain. The Jamaican now leads the Rajasthani by 25 ratings points.

However, Mithali will have a chance to reclaim her number-one ranking when she represents India in the three-ODI series against Australia which starts in Ahmedabad on Sunday 12 March.

Jhulan has also slipped in the latest rankings which were updated after the conclusion of the New Zealand-England series which finished in Lincoln on 5 March. England won the series 3-0.

Jhulan had figures of one for 21, one for 27 and one for 33 which were not enough to keep her on top of the table. The 28-year-old from Bengal has dropped 18 ratings points after her performance in St Kitts which has helped Australia’s Lisa Sthalekar to rise to the number-one position.

Sthalekar will start off against India in the three-ODI series on Sunday leading the India fast bowler by just eight ratings points.

England’s Charlotte Edwards, ICC’s Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2008, meanwhile, has continued to move in the right direction.

The England captain was a good performer in her side’s 3-0 win over New Zealand when she scored 84, 137 and nine which has helped her gain 66 ratings points and moves her two places to third in the latest rankings.

Sarah Taylor is the other batter from the England side to improve her ranking. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 109 off 113 balls with nine fours in the third ODI on 5 March which has helped her gain one place in the ranking. She is now in fifth position.

Amy Satterthwaite of New Zealand has become her country’s highest-ranked batter by breaking into the top 10 for the first time in her career.

Satterthwaite scored 38, 69 and 58 in the series for which she was rewarded with a jump of six places. She is occupies 10th position while her team-mate Sara McGlashan has slipped one place to 11th.

England’s 20-year-old fast bowler Anya Shrubsole, who won the player of the series award, has returned to the rankings table in 59th position. The fast bowler from Somerset claimed five wickets in the series.

The player rankings will next be updated at the conclusion of India’s ODI series against Australia on 16 March.

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