India held on to the No 4 position in the latest International Cricket Council One-Day International rankings despite not playing the 50-over format for more than two months, reported PTI.
Virat Kohli-led India have 112 rating points, only seven points behind leaders South Africa, who have 119 rating points. Trans-Tasman rivals Australia (118) and New Zealand (113) have taken the second and third spots in the table. India’s last ODI engagement was against England in January, where they won a three-match series 2-1.
The West Indies and Pakistan will aim to consolidate their positions in their bid to qualify directly for the ICC World Cup 2019 when they will feature in a three-match ODI series starting in Guyana on Friday.
Two-time world champions West Indies are currently sitting in ninth position on 84 points, five behind eighth-ranked Pakistan. Bangladesh, who recently drew their three-match series with Sri Lanka, are seventh with 92 points.
The West Indies lead Pakistan 15-13 on a head-to-head at home and have a chance to move ahead of the visiting side. But to make it happen, it will have to win all three matches. If they are able to achieve this, then they will join the 1992 World Cup winners with 87 points, and will be ranked eighth.
In contrast, if Pakistan, who have won 11 of 19 matches against the West Indies in the West Indies this decade, win all the three matches, then they will join Bangladesh on 92 points and will be ranked ahead of their Asian rival by a fraction of a point.
England and the seven other top teams, on September 30, 2017, will qualify directly for the World Cup with the remaining four teams getting a second chance through a 10-team Qualifying tournament in 2018.