Dubai, Oct 23: Veteran Pakistan bowler Sana Mir topped the wicket-takers chart even as her team went down 0-3 to Australia in their ICC Women's Championship series. The sweep was a good one for Australia, who extended their lead over New Zealand at the top of the table, while losses outnumbered wins for Pakistan, who are now down at No. 6, just above South Africa and Sri Lanka on the table, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said in statement on their official website.

But Mir, the 32-year-old former captain, had a good time out in Kuala Lumpur with her off-spin, returning figures of 3/26, 1/37 and 3/53 to end at the top of the MRF Tyres ICC Women's ODI Player Rankings for bowlers with a career-high 663 points.

That lifted her three spots on the table, as she went past Marizanne Kapp of South Africa and Australia's Megan Schutt as well as the out-of-action Jess Jonassen of Australia, who slipped from No. 1 to No. 4.

Australia off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner was outstanding in the last ODI, hitting an unbeaten 37-ball 62 and picking up three wickets. She made the difference in the final game, where Alyssa Healy's 97 was the top score for Australia, but Gardner's was the real match-winning effort.

Gardner moved up to a career-best No. 17 (up nine spots) among bowlers as a result, and also to No. 50 with a jump of eight spots in the list for batters.

Australia captain Meg Lanning was in great form in the second game, hitting 124. She retained her No. 2 spot in the batters' table, with 675 points, only six behind compatriot Ellyse Perry at the top. Lanning has moved to within six points of Perry in the batters' chart.

Nicole Bolton, meanwhile, didn't have a good series, and dropped out of the top 10 after slipping six spots. Allysa Healy, however, went up two places to joint No. 16 with South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt. The tally of 574 points is her best to date. Among the Pakistan batters, Nahida Khan was solid, scoring 17, 66 and 37, and is now the 25th best in the world with a career-best 497 points.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 24, 2018 11:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).