Cricket Gang!

Having begun the series with a genuine chance of becoming the top ODI team in the world, India slipped back to third position after going down 2-4 to World champions Australia in the seven-match home series that concluded in Mumbai on Wednesday.

In contrast, Australia reaffirmed its number-one status after a dominant 10 weeks of one-day cricket, even though the seventh and final ODI was washed out.

India went into the seven-match series as world No 2, and needed to win the series to topple Australia from the top slot. However, Mahendra Singh Dhoni [ Images ] and his men could not capitalise on injury-ravaged Australia's thin resources and lost the series.

For Australia, it caps off a superb 10 weeks or so of ODI cricket, having beaten England [ Images ] 6-1 in their own backyard, followed by a victorious performance at the ICC [ Images ] Champions Trophy [ Images ] in South Africa [ Images ] and now an impressive series victory over Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team.

Notwithstanding injuries to some of its first-choice players, Australia showed the world that it deservedly sits atop the ODI Championship table, a position it briefly lost to both South Africa and India in recent months.

As recently as September 20, the Aussies were ranked third behind India and South Africa, but now there are eight ratings points separating them from Graeme Smith's [ Images ] team.

However, with a five-ODI series coming up against England and with Australia concentrating on Test cricket until the third week in January, there is the opportunity for South Africa to close that gap.

Elsewhere, Zimbabwe lost one rating point following its 0-2 series defeat to South Africa and now sits just a single point above Ireland in 10th position.