David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne’s outstanding performance in the secondODI against South Africa in Bloemfontein propelled Australia to acommanding 123-run victory, granting them a 2-0 lead in the ongoingfive-match series.
This exceptional display has pushed Australia back to the pinnacle of theICC ODI team rankings, surpassing Pakistan.
Australia now boasts a rating of 121, edging ahead of Pakistan, who hold arating of 120 and sit in second place.
Nevertheless, Pakistan has an opportunity to reclaim the coveted number oneranking if they can defeat India in the upcoming Super 4 clash during theAsia Cup on Sunday, potentially elevating their rating to 122.
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Australia, batting first, received a blazing start from Travis Head andDavid Warner, with Head achieving a rapid half-century and Warner notchinghis 20th ODI century. Marnus Labuschagne, the hero of Australia’s first ODIvictory, continued his superb form by scoring another century, enablingAustralia to amass an imposing total of 392/8 in their allotted 50 overs.
Although South Africa began their innings strongly, they couldn’t maintainthe momentum, despite valuable contributions from Quinton de Kock andHeinrich Klaasen. Adam Zampa was the standout performer with the ball forAustralia, finishing with figures of 4/48, leading to South Africa’sdismissal for 269-
