ICC ODI Rankings: India have chance to become number 1 side before World Cup

George Bailey and MS Dhoni will captain their sides in the tri-series

Australia and India will have the chance to put daylight between one another at the top of the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings, when they compete alongside England in a tri-series, which starts in Sydney on Friday.

The two nations are currently ranked at the top, with the same amount of points (117) and a victorious campaign in the tri-series will see either team go clear of the other at the top of the rankings.

Friday’s opening clash at the SCG will see Australia host England with the Aussies keen to edge a point clear of MS Dhoni’s side at the top of the ODI team rankings. It will be a dress rehearsal for the eagerly anticipated ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 opening match, which will see the same sides play each other in exactly 30 days’ time in Melbourne.

Following their 5-0 home series victory over Sri Lanka in November, reigning champions India will be bidding to gain further momentum and become only the third side in ICC Cricket World Cup history to successfully defend its title (after West Indies in 1975 and 1979 and Australia, who won the coveted prize three times in succession between 1999 and 2007).

Meanwhile, South Africa, bidding to lift the 50-over title for the first time after reaching the semi-finals when Australia and New Zealand last hosted the ICC Cricket World Cup back in 1992, welcome West Indies to Durban on Friday in the first of a five-match ODI series, with two of the world’s top three batsmen in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen set to feature.

Proteas captain AB de Villiers is in pole position in the batting rankings on 887 points and the 30-year-old Pretorian holds a 25-point advantage over second-placed India batsman Virat Kohli, with Hashim Amla one place further back in third spot.

There are several permutations that could emerge over the coming weeks as New Zealand and Sri Lanka are also battling it out in their seven-match series, with the Black Caps currently holding a 1-0 lead after their three-wicket victory in the first ODI on Sunday.

After this series, New Zealand will complete their ICC Cricket World Cup preparations when they plays host to Pakistan – who lifted the CWC trophy back in 1992 – in two ODIs ahead of their opening game of the tournament in Christchurch against Sri Lanka, also on 14 February.

Rank	Team	Points
1	Australia	117
2	India	117
3	South Africa	112
4	Sri Lanka	109
5	England	104
6	New Zealand	99
7	Pakistan	97
8	West Indies	96
9	Bangladesh	75
10	Zimbabwe	53
11	Ireland	39
12	Afghanistan	38