Fiery Steyn bowls South Africa to big win

Dale Steyn's career-best bowling figures of 11 wickets for 60 runs propelled South Africa to a comprehensive 211-run victory over Pakistan on day four of the first test at the Wanderers on Monday.

In a match of records, South African wicketkeeper AB de Villiers equalled Englishman Jack Russell's world best of 11 dismissals in a test that came in the same ground in 1995.

Having set Pakistan, who made their lowest test total of 49 in the first innings, an improbable 480-run victory target, South Africa bowled them out for 268.

The new ball did the trick as the visitors lost their final six wickets for 59 before the lunch break.

Steyn picked up five second innings wickets to finish with his fifth 10-wicket haul which also earned him the man-of-the-match award.

"With all the hype going into the game from a personal point of view I felt it was always important we won," South Africa captain Graeme Smith, celebrating his 100th test as skipper, told reporters.

"To win so comprehensively was even better.

"Day two we set a standard as a team when we bowled Pakistan out for 49, we must now feel we can achieve that level of performance more often."

Smith singled out Steyn's performance following the bowler's lengthy 10-over spell on Monday on his way to five wickets to go with six from the first innings.

"Dale was outstanding, it was important that someone set the tone for us with the ball and he did that. Everybody followed suit afterwards," said Smith.

Resuming on 183-4, Pakistan had added 26 runs to their total in the morning session before the first wicket fell.

Steyn managed to get a delivery to nip away from Asad Shafiq and the edge was pouched low down by Jacques Kallis at second slip. It brought to an end a fine innings of 56 in which Shafiq kept the South African pace attack at bay for 168 balls.

Shafiq and Misbah-ul-Haq had added 127 for the fifth-wicket, bettering the previous record against South Africa of 107 between the same two batsmen in Abu Dhabi in the 2010/11 season.

Misbah fell in Steyn's next over to a delivery that pitched on off-stump, moved away and caught the edge of the bat for a simple chance to de Villiers. He went for a well-constructed 64.

Sarfraz Ahmed (six) tried to leave a Vernon Philander delivery but only succeeded in getting an inside edge onto the stumps.

Umar Gul (23) and Saeed Ajmal (11) hit some lusty blows but it was only a matter of time before they succumbed, the latter gloving a ball to de Villiers as he tried evading a Morne Morkel bouncer.

Junaid Khan was bowled by Morkel off a no-ball, the second time in this match that a South African over-stepped when picking up a wicket after Vernon Philander did likewise earlier in the innings.

Gul became Steyn's next victim when he played a wild swish at a short ball and was caught by de Villiers. It was originally given not out, but overturned by the third umpire on review.

Steyn trapped Junaid Khan leg before for nine, capping a magnificent display of fast bowling that Pakistan will somehow have to counter in the next two test matches in Cape Town (Feb 14-18) and Centurion (Feb 22-26).

"It is always difficult when you come to South Africa and right now they are the number one side in the world, they have the top bowlers and some of top batsman in the world," said Pakistan captain Misbah.

"It is a challenge for us. We bowled well, especially in the first innings, and our batting in the second innings was much better. We need to improve more and work out a way to get them out and stop them scoring runs. But we must take confidence from some aspects of this match," he added.

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Amla, Misbah make progress in ICC Rankings

The South African batting machine Hashim Amla first time in his Test career has vaulted into the top most spot of ICC Rankings for batsmen, meaning he is now number one in Tests as well as in ODIs.

Hashim Amla scored 111 runs (37 and 74*) in the Johannesburg Test against Pakistan. The effort was enough to take him above the Australian captain Michael Clarke, who is now at number two. Amla’s ratings is 895 to Clarke’s 887.
Although Pakistan lost the match badly, the captain Misbah-ul-Haq has laddered back among top ten batsmen. Misbah, who scored 12 and a resilient 64 in the first Test, is now Pakistan’s best batsman in Test rankings, at number 10. The Number 11 and 12 in the Rankings are also two Pakistanis, Younis Khan and Azhar Ali.
It goes without saying that Dale Styen is World’s number one bowler, but after his 11 wickets at Johannesburg he now has 908 Ratings, the best he has achieved in his Test career. The number two is another South African, Vernon Philander.
Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal, who grabbed only a wicket at Johannesburg, has moved down to number 5 from three in the ICC Rankings.
In the list all-rounders, where there is no one from Pakistan in top ten, Jacques Kallis is number one while Shakib Al-Hassan number two.

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1st Test, Day 2: Proteas lead by 411 after Pakistan bowled out for 49 in 1st innings

SOUTH AFRICA: Over: 53 II Score: 207/3 (Amla: 50*, de Villiers: 63*)

That’s stumps on Day 2 and needless to say, once again the hosts are in a commanding position as they lead by 411 runs. The only bone of contention for Pakistan was that they managed to pick three wickets in quick successions but since then, Amla and de Villiers have stitched an unbeaten 108-run partnership. Amla reached his half-century off the penultimate delivery of the day.

It was once again a day that belonged to Dale Steyn. He came with all guns blazing as he picked six wickets for just 8 runs and reduced Pakistan for their lowest ever Test total, 49. One should not forget that lovely spell from Kallis where he swung the ball both ways and scalped Azhar Ali and Misbah-ul-Haq. Pakistan would need a miracle to take this match into the fourth day! With a lead of over 400 runs, we might once again see, a Dale Steyn show on Day 3!

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SOUTH AFRICA: Over: 50 II Score: 201/3 (Amla: 48*, de Villiers: 59)

Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers have completed a century partnership. AB scored a boundary off Rahat Ali at fine leg. Earlier in the game, de Villiers was given lbw off Ajmal which was further challenged by the right-hander and the third umpire’s decision was not-out as the hot-spot once again didn’t show any signs of accuracy. South Africa now lead by 405 runs.

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SOUTH AFRICA: Over: 38 II Score: 154/3 ( Amla: 32*, de Villiers: 30*)

Amla and de Villiers have added unbeaten 57 runs for the fourth wicket. With a lead that has now gone over 300, there two are taking their chances off lose deliveries. South Africa now lead by 358 runs.

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SOUTH AFRICA: Over: 30 II Score: 110/3 ( Alma: 16*, de Villiers: 6*)

Umar Gul dismissed Graeme Smith (52) and Alviro Petersen (27) in two overs after which Saeed Ajmal scalped the big wicket of Jacques Kallis. Finally there is some relief for Pakistan as they pick three wickets but the hosts already lead by 318 runs.

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SOUTH AFRICA: Over: 19 II Score: 73/0 ( Smith: 41*, Petersen: 27*)

And that’s tea! Another session dominated by the hosts. The Proteas now lead by 277 runs as the openers have shown some resilience on a pitch where their own bowlers looked unplayable. Pakistan haven’t bowled that bad, but they haven’t managed to find their first breakthrough.

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SOUTH AFRICA: Over: 12 II Score: 51/0( Smith: 25*, Petersen: 21*)

Pakistan were bowled out for 49. South Africa scored 253 runs in the first innings and in their second they have already scored 50 runs with skipper Smith and Petersen at the crease. Their lead has extended to 256 runs. Pakistan bowlers haven’t bowled bad and they were unlucky as the few edges didn’t carry to the slip fielders. Petersen pulled a short ball for a boundary at midwicket to bring South Africa’s half-century!

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PAKISTAN INNINGS

So while on Day 1 we thought Pakistan were in control after wrapping the Proteas innings for 253, it was altogether a different story on Day 2 where Dale Steyn, once again, proved his class and the Pakistan batsmen couldn’t do much about the way he bowled.

Pakistan were dismissed for their lowest ever total in Tests and South Africa have decided to bat once again, extend their lead and then leave it to their bowlers to wreak havoc once again!

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PAKISTAN: Over: 29.1 II Score: 49/10( Junaid: 8*)

Junaid hits two consecutive boundaries off Philander. Did not look too classy but Pakistan can do with a few such hits. Rahat Ali is dismissed by Steyn.

Rahat Ali c du Plessis b Steyn 0 (9m 6b 0x4 0x6)

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PAKISTAN: Over: 28 II Score: 41/9( Ali: 0*, Junaid: 0*)

Pakistan have lost another wicket. This time its Ahmed who edges one from Steyn and is accepted gleefully by de Villiers. This is Steyn’s 20th five wicket haul for Dale Steyn.

Sarfraz Ahmed c de Villiers b Steyn 2 (28m 13b 0x4 0x6)

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Pakistan go into lunch at 40 for the loss of 7 wickets. This session undoubtedly belonged to the home team. Some really good bowling from the pacers combined with some irresponsible strokeplay from the Pakistan batsmen has put the tourists in a precarious position.

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PAKISTAN: Over: 22.3 II Score: 39/7( Ahmed: 1*)

South Africa have picked up another wicket. Gul this time prods at one outside off stump and the slip fielder completes a regulation catch.

Pakistan have lost another wicket. This time its Shafiq who plays a horrible shot and the catch is completed by de Villiers.

Umar Gul c Smith b Philander 0 (2m 2b 0x4 0x6)

Asad Shafiq c de Villiers b Philander 1 (5b 0x4 0x6)

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PAKISTAN: Over: 21.1 II Score: 37/5( Shafiq: 0*)

Loud shout for a catch behind off Kallis but the umpire says no. Interestingly, the keeper’s appeal was not convincing. Proteas go for a review. Hotspot cannot detect anything. Billi Bowden has raised his finger though. Misbah looks very annoyed.

Misbah-ul-Haq c de Villiers b Kallis 12 (77m 45b 3x4 0x6)

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PAKISTAN: Over: 20 II Score: 36/4( Misbah: 12*)

Just as things were settling down for Pakistan Kallis has given them another blow. This time its Azhar Ali who is caught by de Villiers to an unplayable delivery from Kallis.

Azhar Ali c de Villiers b Kallis 13 (81m 46b 2x4 0x6)

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PAKISTAN: Over: 14 II Score: 23/3( Ali: 4*, Misbah: 4*)

The South African pacers continue to bowl a probing line and length. Pakistani batsmen are playing with extreme caution. Pakistan desperately need a partnership here.

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PAKISTAN: Over: 6 II Score: 12/3( Ali: 2*)

Pakistan’s innings is falling apart. This time Younis Khan edges one from Steyn straight into the hands of Smith at first slip.

Younis Khan c Smith b Steyn 0 (5b 0x4 0x6)

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PAKISTAN: Over: 5.1 II Score: 12/2( Ali: 2*)

Philander pitches one on leg stump and gets it to straighten and it results in a huge appeal for lbw. The umpire says no but the Proteas ask for a review. However replays confirm that the ball would have gone over the stumps and Jamshed survives.

This time Dale Steyn traps Jamshed on the pads and this one looks pretty similar to the earlier appeal but this time Billy Bowden raises his ‘crooked finger’. Jamshed opts for the review but this time the decision is upheld. So Pakistan lose their second wicket.

Nasir Jamshed lbw b Steyn 2 (15b 0x4 0x6)

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PAKISTAN: Over: 4 II Score: 11/1( Jamshed: 2*, Ali: 2*)

Philander starts off preoccedings, for the Proteas on day 2, with a maiden. Nice line and length from Philander. Dale Steyn bowls from the other end. Nasir Jamshed leans into a drive for two runs. Steyn strikes and Hafeez is gone. This was a perfect delivery to the right hander just outside the off stump and Hafeez gets a faint edge and is taken safely by de Villiers behind the stumps. Azhar Ali is the new batsman and he starts off with a flick off his pads for a couple of runs.

Mohammad Hafeez c de Villiers b Steyn 6 (14b 1x4 0x6)

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Johannesburg: Pakistan are on top after restricting the Proteas to 253 in their first innings on day one of the 1st Test played in Johannesburg. However South Africa still have a chance of pulling things back if they can get a few early breakthroughs. A lot will depend on the opening partnership of Hafeez and Jamshed. With the ball just two overs old the South African pacers will be looking to pick up early wickets and create some pressure on the Pakistani middle order.

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Time to move on from Afridi and Abdul Razzaq and focus on youngsters: Ijaz Butt

World Cricket News(WCN) seniour written Jazib-ur-Rehman recently met with Pakistan Cricket Board's former chairman Ijaz Butt. Appointed as Chairman in October 2008, Butt's tenure saw a lot of controversies and a little success for cricket in the country. During 3 years, Butt faced problems with many officials and players including Javed Miandad, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, the ECB, the cricket council of USA, the ICC and even the Senate. He sacked the national selection committee, the COO of the PCB and banned and fined seven Pakistani players in the after-math of their tour of Australia in the 2009-10 season. Butt also over-saw the board during the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan Cricket team in Lahore in 2009 (after which internation cricket was banned in Pakistan) and the spot-fixing saga in England in 2010.

On the plus side, Pakistan won their first ever ICC T20 World Cup in 2009, reached the semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and Misbah-ul-Haq was appointed as the team's Captain in tests, and later on in all formats. This is what happened when Basir spoke to the former chairman:

KheloPakistan.com (KP): What are your views on the return of International Cricket in Pakistan?
Ijaz Butt (IB): Well, I don’t see it happening this year, given the current security conditions, what Pakistan has gone through in the past and is going through right now, the chances for international teams to visit Pakistan seem almost obsolete.

 
KP: Do you think teams like Bangladesh could visit Pakistan in the near future?
IB: No, all of us have seen the attitude of Bangladesh Cricket Board towards their visit to Pakistan. We shouldn’t expect them to tour Pakistan in the near future.

 
KP: Pakistan Super League has recently been announced by the PCB, do you see it reaping out any positives for the nation’s cricketing setup?
IB: Yes, PSL is a really good initiative by the PCB to organize our very own cricket league after the huge success of other international T20 leagues like IPL, SLPL, BPL etc.

 
KP: In your views, what steps should be taken to make PSL a successful event?
IB: I think that PSL will be a huge success only if the foreign players agree to participate in it, however, keeping in view the present conditions, the participation of Bangladeshi players seems difficult in my opinion.

KP: Do you think the the Sri Lankan players will participate in it?
IB: No, since their team was attacked in Lahore, I don’t think they’ll fancy a visit to Pakistan so soon.

KP: Moving on to other issues, the Pakistani team is all set to face South Africa in their own backyard and the squad has been announced for the tour. What are your thoughts on the squad’s selection? Do you think it was a good move to select Sarfraz Ahmad in place of Adnan Akmal?
IB: The selection has been quite interesting, dropping Adnan was certainly a good decision but replacing him with Sarfaraz was a shocker. He has had his chances and his performance hasn’t been very encouraging. In my personal opinion, there are much better wicket-keeper batsmen than him on our domestic circuit who are more suitable and deserving than him for the spot.

WCN: What are your views on the South Africa tour?

IB: The tour to South Africa will surely be a really tough one for both teams. A very close contest should be expected between the two teams. It will be a real test, especially for the youngsters.

WCN: Now a question which most of the boundary-loving Pakistani fans would like to ask you, do you think that Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi will be able to make a come-back or is it time to move on?
IB: Well, every player has a certain age in which he performs at his peak. After that peak age, the reflexes start slowing down and this is the exactly what has happened with Afridi and Abdul Razzaq. In their peak time, Afridi and Abdul Razzaq were without a doubt some of the best match-winning players in the team. But instead of waiting for them to find their form and make a come-back and relying on them, it would be better to focus on and support the fresh talent like Junaid Khan and Muhammad Irfan. The way they performed against India was very impressive. Apart from these two, there are a lot of other guys too who are immensely talented and are waiting for their chances.

WCN: Finally, would you like to give a message to our readers?
IB: My message to the readers would be to keep supporting Pakistan Cricket Team. The upcoming tour to South Africa is going to be very tough. If we can beat the number one team in their backyard, then we can definitely beat any team anywhere.

WCN: Thank you for your time.
IB: My Pleasure!

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Pakistan Super League will have big names - Haroon Lorgat

Leading international cricketers have signed up to compete in the Pakistan Super League despite security concerns, according to the event's top adviser.

Former International Cricket Council chief executive Haroon Lorgat said players could earn at least $100,000 (£63,476) for the two-week tournament.
Lorgat rebuffed claims from players' union boss Tim May that players would stay away because Pakistan is unsafe.
"There are already signed commitments in place," Lorgat told BBC Sport.
"I am quite astounded by the reception of broadcast interest and sponsors interest and by some good players.
"At this stage I am not at liberty to release names, but they are from across the globe."
The Pakistan Super League (PSL), scheduled for 26 March to 7 April, is being billed as a chance to prove that the country is ready to host top-level international cricket for the first time since gunmen attacked the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009, killing seven policemen and injuring six players.

But the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (Fica), of which May is chief executive, is urging players not to take part in the tournament after receiving worrying reports on the current level of danger from an independent security firm.

"The security consultants came back and said that the risk of touring Pakistan in a cricketing sense is unmanageable," former Australia off-spinner May told BBC Sport last week. "I think you'll find the majority of current international cricketers will heed our advice."
Lorgat, however, cast doubt on the security advice and argued that the city of Lahore - where PSL matches will take place - is safer than other areas.
"I can understand where Tim is coming from but I'm not sure if these agencies have been to Pakistan, or been to Lahore and done the assessment on the ground," said Lorgat, who served as ICC chief executive from 2008 to 2012.
"I've been to Lahore on a number of occasions in the last few months and I'm quite comforted by what I see. I'm also getting an understanding and appreciation that some of the unsafe areas are not where the games will be played.
"In my days back in South Africa there were certain no-go areas because you were setting yourself up to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and I see the same thing in Pakistan."
The PSL player auction will take place on 24 February with players divided into categories.
Bidding for players in the diamond category will start at $100,000, players in the platinum category $75,000, $50,000 for gold category, $25,000 for silver category while emerging players will be paid $5,000-$10,000.
Players have been offered life insurance cover of up to $2m (£1.26m) to play in the competition, the Daily Telegraph reported last week. 
English players will only be allowed to compete if they receive "No Objection Certificates" from the England & Wales Cricket Board, with counties believed to be concerned by the proximity to the start of the County Championship season on 10 April.
Lorgat feels the tournament is an essential step on the road to Pakistan welcoming international matches again, having played the majority of their "home" matches in the United Arab Emirates for the past four years, as well as in England and New Zealand.
"It's safe to say Pakistan have had a very unpleasant few years not being able to play cricket at home and it's perfectly understandable that most of the other cricket nations were unwilling to go there but we can't have that situation for ever," he said.
"We are a family of cricket members and we have to do what we can to support them. Without it, it will be really difficult for them to sustain growth and levels of interest in the game."

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Defending champion England readies to take on Sri Lanka

Defending champion England will start as favourites to qualify for the Super Six stage of this week's ICC Women's World Cup 2013 from Group A which also includes host India and qualifiers West Indies and Sri Lanka.

The second and third place will be a hard fought contest, with the West Indies a vastly improved side from four years ago and host India and qualifier Sri Lanka all vying for Super Six placing and the sub-continent sides perhaps more confident due the event being hosted in Mumbai.

England, winner of the tournament in 1973, 1993 and most recently in 2009, will begin it latest campaign against Sri Lanka on the second day of the tournament in Mumbai. A day later in the feature match of the group, Charlotte Edwards, featuring in her fifth successive ICC Women's World Cup, will lead England against 2009 third-place finishers India before concluding the group stage matches against West Indies on 6 February.

England's matches against Sri Lanka and India will be played at the CCI and will be covered in High Definition by the ICC's official broadcast partner Star Sports.

On the opening day of the tournament, host India will take on the rising stars of the women's game, West Indies, in another broadcast match at the Cricket Club of India. Sri Lanka will meet the West Indies side on 4 February at MIG, while on 6 February Shashikala Siriwardena's side will face the host at CCI with the match also being broadcast live.

If recent form is anything to go by with Group A, then it will probably be Sri Lanka that will be the team that does not progress through to the Super Six stage, which starts on 8 February.

Sri Lanka won the right to compete in the tournament when it finished in the top four of the ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier (ICC WWCQ) in Dhaka, Bangladesh in November 2011. The side beat South Africa in the third/fourth play-off to occupy the fourth spot in Group A while West Indies qualified for third spot in the group after completing the tournament undefeated.

At the ICC Women's World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, West Indies, finished in the top four of the tournament after a tight semi-final against Australia in the event last October. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka managed just one win throughout the whole event, ironically against the West Indies, in Galle.

The England squad for the ICC Women's World Cup features familiar faces for followers of the game, including captain Edwards, while there are eight players from the original winning squad of 2009 including the in-form ICC Women's Twenty20 Player of the Year 2012, Sarah Taylor, who will once again lead the sides batting line-up.

Edwards requires a mere 61 more ODI runs to usurp Belinda Clark of Australia to become the most successful run-scorer in women's cricket, Clark's record of 4,844 ODI runs has stood since 2005.

The bowling attack features the number one ODI bowler in the Reliance ICC Women's ODI Player Rankings, Katherine Brunt, who currently has 76 ODI scalps to her name, along with the talented slow left-armer Holly Colvin, who happened to also hit the winning runs for England back in 2009 when it defeated Australia in the final of the event.

India's women are to be led by Mithali Raj, the number one batter in the Reliance ICC Women's ODI Player Rankings while former captain Jhulan Goswami, also features again in the side. Faces to watch out for include the diminutive batter Punam Raut and her compatriot wicketkeeper-batter Sulakshana Naik plus bowlers Gouher Sultana and Nagarajan Niranjana.

West Indies' side features a mixture of youth and experience, including the only twins in the event, Kycia and Kyshona Knight of Barbados. The side is led by Trinidadian Merissa Aguilleira while ICC Women's ODI Player of the Year 2012, Stafanie Taylor, is her deputy.

In-form spinner Anisa Mohammed will be one to watch, the 24-year-old claimed 7-14 in the final of the ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier 2011 against Pakistan and will hoping the sub-continent conditions will suit her style of play.

Finally, Sri Lanka's side will be hoping for a positive tournament under the leadership of Siriwardena. The side is once again coached by Harsha de Silva, while players to watch out for include the likes of wicketkeeper-batter Dilani Manodara and top-order batter Yasoda Mendis.

When it comes to the bowling attack, Siriwardena will be key for the side in the sub-continent conditions with her off-spin as will medium-pacer Sripali Weerakoddy who has represented the side in 37 ODIs.

Group A squads

ENGLAND - Charlotte Edwards (captain), Jenny Gunn (vice-captain), Tammy Beaumont, Arran Brindle, Katherine Brunt, Holly Colvin, Georgia Elwiss, Lydia Greenway, Danielle Hazell, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Laura Marsh, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor, Danielle Wyatt.

INDIA - Mithali Raj (captain), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Ekta Bisht, Amita Dass, Jhulan Goswami, Karuna Jain, Reema Malhotra, Mona Meshram, Thirushkamini Murugesan, Sulakshana Naik, Niranjan Nagarajan, Rasnara Parwin, Punam Raut, Shubh Lakshmi Sharma, Gouher Sultana.

WEST INDIES - Merissa Aguilleira (captain), Stafanie Taylor (vice-captain), Shemaine Campbelle, Shanel Daley, Deandra Dottin, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Natasha Mclean, Anisa Mohammed, Subrina Munroe, Juliana Nero, June Ogle, Shaquana Quintyne, Shakera Selman, Tremayne Smartt.

SRI LANKA - Shashikala Siriwardena (captain), Sandamali Dolawatta (vice-captain), Chamari Attapaththu, Eshani Lokusooriya, Lasanthi Madushani, Dilani Manodara, Yasoda Mendis, Udeshika Prabodani, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Inoka Ranaweera, Deepika Rasangika, Sherina Ravikumar, Chamani Senevirathne, Prasadini Weerakkody, Sripali Weerakkody.

Group A fixtures (all venues in Mumbai):

Thurs 31 Jan - India v West Indies, Cricket Club of India

Fri 1 Feb - England v Sri Lanka, Cricket Club of India

Sun 3 Feb - England v India, Cricket Club of India; Sri Lanka v West Indies, MIG

Wed 6 Feb - India v Sri Lanka, Cricket Club of India; England v West Indies, BKC.

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India reclaims number-one ODI ranking from England

India had two reasons to cheer the completion of the ODI series against England.

Not only did Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side manage to win the series by a margin of 3-2, it also reclaimed the number-one rank on the Reliance ICC ODI Championship Table for the first time in just over three years.

India, which started the series in third place at 117 ratings points, gained two ratings points to end at 119. England, which had started on 121 ratings points, slipped to 119 ratings points after the series loss, only to see India finish ahead of it by 0.2 when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point. India had become the number-one ranked side after winning the third match of the series on 19 January and then held onto the spot thereafter.

England had gained the number-one spot in September 2012, while it is the second time since September 2009 that India has topped the current ranking system since it was introduced in 2002.

India's cause was also helped by South Africa, which lost to New Zealand 1-2. As a result, South Africa lost nine ratings points and dropped from second to fourth position, one ratings point behind third-ranked Australia. New Zealand gained seven ratings points and moved ahead of Bangladesh into eighth position with 79 ratings points.

Meanwhile, Australia and Sri Lanka have retained their pre-series ODI ratings after their series ended in a two-all draw. Australia is now third at 113 ratings points while Sri Lanka is three ratings points behind in fifth spot.

To find out exactly how the forthcoming series will affect the Championship table, please click here. The ODI and T20I Championship tables, unlike the Test Championship table, are updated after every match.

Build-up to the ICC Champions Trophy 2013

The tussle for the top spot on the Reliance ICC ODI Championship Table is also a build-up for the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held from 6 to 23 June in England and Wales.

Group A includes defending champion Australia, 2000 winner New Zealand and 2002 champion Sri Lanka, along with host England, which reached the final when it last staged the event in 2004.

Sides in Group B of the ICC Champions Trophy are 1998 winner South Africa, 2004 champion West Indies, 2002 winner India, and Pakistan.

The tournament opener will feature two former winners when South Africa takes on 2002 champion India in Cardiff on 6 June. The following day, the West Indies will face Pakistan at The Oval.

The semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy will be staged at The Oval (19 June) and in Cardiff (20 June), while Edgbaston will be the venue of the final, to be played on 23 June.

Reliance ICC ODI Championship table

With 12 ratings points separating number-one ranked India from sixth-ranked Pakistan, the battle for the Reliance ICC ODI Shield and a cash award of US$175,000 is truly warming up.

There are a number of additional series to be played before the 1 April cut-off date. Australia will take on the West Indies between 1 and 10 February, England will travel to New Zealand for a three-match series from 17 February, and South Africa will host Pakistan in a five-match series from 10 March. Every match counts as the six leading sides battle to finish inside the top two.

The side that tops the Championship table on the 1 April cut-off date collects a cheque of US$175,000 along with a Shield, while the team that finishes second receives a cheque of US$75,000.

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