Bangalore: India will host South Africa in round two of the ICC Women’s Championship in a three-ODI series that starts in Bangalore on Sunday, as both sides bid to regain some ground on early pace-setter Australia.


Host India, currently sitting sixth in the table after losing its first round clash to Australia 2-1, is likely to call upon its influential captain Mithali Raj, who is ranked number one in the Reliance ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings for Batters. Also expected to be seen in action is seventh-placed Harmanpreet Kaur. South Africa, meanwhile, can call upon three batters in the top 20 – Marizanne Kapp (16th), Trisha Chetty (19th) and Mignon du Preez (20th).


In the Reliance ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings for Bowlers, India’s medium pace bowler Jhulan Goswami (3rd) will be aiming to reduce the 22-point deficit with second-placed Jenny Gunn of England. In the absence of its highest-ranked bowler Shibnam Ismail, South Africa, which is fourth on the table after its first round series against Sri Lanka ended in a 1-1 tie, will look to Sunette Loubser (13th) and Dane van Niekerk (15th), who both have India’s 12th placed Gouher Sultana in their sights. Sultana’s rankings lead over Loubser is just three points.


The consistent Marizanne Kapp is ranked a career-high third position in the Reliance ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings for All-rounders following her exploits in the recent series victory over Sri Lanka, 42 points adrift of Australia’s Ellyse Perry. Kapp’s South Africa team-mate Dane van Niekerk is tied for fifth place with India’s Goswami on 219 points heading into the three-match series.


The three ODI matches will take place in Bangalore on 24, 26 and 28 November as part of the seven-round ICC Women’s Championship, which is a qualifying tournament for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017.


Australia-West Indies

Meanwhile, Australia has moved six points clear at the top of the ICC Women’s Championship table on 12 points after clinching a 3-0 series victory over West Indies in Bowral on Sunday. Skipper Meg Lanning has vaulted to a career-high second place in the batter rankings after compiling 336 runs in the series, including 135 not out in the third ODI. Sydney-born all-rounder Ellyse Perry rose nine places to 12th after three half centuries in the three ODIs that count towards the ICC Women’s Championship (53, 72 and 64 not out) as well as chipping in with four valuable wickets.


West Indies is now in second place on the table, with off-spinner Stafanie Taylor retaining the number one position in the Reliance ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings for Bowlers, 18 points clear of England’s Gunn. Perry has broken into the top 10 in 10th spot (up by one) and is 17 points adrift of her team-mate Erin Osborne, who occupies ninth position. Australia’s 30-year-old leg-break bowler Kristen Beams has vaulted 35 places to a career-high 65th place after taking five wickets in the series.


The top four sides from the ICC Women’s Championship will progress to the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, to be staged in England, while the bottom four sides will get a final chance of qualification through the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier in 2017.


The tournament structure sees each team will play each other in one home or away series that will include three ODIs over a two and a half year period. As such, each side is guaranteed at least 21 ODIs over the tournament period.


Squads

India (from): (To be announced in due course)

South Africa (from): Mignon Du Preez (captain), Savanna Cordes, Trisha Chetty (wkt), Yolani Fourie, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Lizelle Lee, Marcia Letsoalo, Sunette Loubser, Nadine Moodley, Nonkululeko Thabethe, Chloe Tryon, Dane van Niekerk