South Africa staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Australia by 176 runs in the third and deciding Test at Newlands, Cape Town, on Saturday, securing the three-match series 2-1.
Chasing 288, Australia collapsed to 111 all out in their second innings after a calamitous start on the final day. Off-spinner Simon Harmer produced a sensational spell, taking career-best figures of 6/16 to tear through the Australian batting lineup. He ended the match with 10/120 and was named Player of the Match.
Kagiso Rabada offered strong support with 3/39, achieving the milestone of 350 Test wickets along the way. Earlier, centuries from Ryan Rickelton (101) and Wiaan Mulder (115) helped South Africa recover from a first-innings deficit of 100 runs and set Australia a formidable target.
The win marked a stunning turnaround for the Proteas, who had lost the opening Test in Durban. South Africa also regained the top spot in the ICC Test team rankings.
WTC Points Table Scenario After South Africa Victory
Following the series win, South Africa has moved into second place, dropping Australia to third. New Zealand continues to lead the nine-team standings with 52 points and a points percentage (PCT) of 72.22. South Africa sits close behind with 60 points from seven Tests, having won five and lost two for a PCT of 71.43. Australia has slipped to a PCT of 69.23 despite accumulating 108 points from 13 matches.
India is fourth with 68 points from 11 Tests and a PCT of 51.52, recording five wins, four losses, and two draws in the current cycle.
Bangladesh occupies fifth place with 40 points and a PCT of 47.62 after its latest loss to West Indies. The Caribbean side won the Mirpur Test by eight wickets, lifting its position to eighth with a PCT of 26.92.
England is sixth at 38.54 PCT, followed by Sri Lanka at 33.33. Pakistan remains at the bottom with just 4.63 per cent after nine Tests, also incurring substantial points deductions for slow over-rates.
With the top two teams advancing to the WTC 2025-27 final, New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia currently hold the leading positions in an increasingly competitive race.
Rank Team Matches Won Lost Tied Drawn NR Points PCT
1 New Zealand 6 4 1 0 1 0 52 72.220
2 South Africa 7 5 2 0 0 0 60 71.430
3 Australia 13 9 4 0 0 0 108 69.230
4 India 11 5 4 0 2 0 68 51.520
5 Bangladesh 7 3 3 0 1 0 40 47.620
6 England 16 7 8 0 1 0 74 38.540
7 Sri Lanka 6 1 2 0 3 0 24 33.330
8 West Indies 13 2 8 0 2 0 42 26.920
9 Pakistan 9 2 7 0 0 0 5 4.630
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