South Africa surged to the top of the ICC World Test Championship standings, edging past Australia following a hard-fought win over Sri Lanka in Gqeberha.

This means Australia’s brief stint at the top of the 2023-25 WTC standings lasted just over a day, as the Proteas overtook them with a 109-run win over Sri Lanka. A day before, Australia’s terrific performance in Adelaide put them on top of the table. They produced a brilliant bowling display across a little over two days to defeat
India by 10 wickets and level the series 1-1.

As a result, India slipped to No.3 in the table. After an unprecedented 3-0 series whitewash at home in October against New Zealand which pushed them down a spot in the WTC table, India bounced back in the race for Lord’s with a comprehensive 295-run win against Australia in Perth. However, their hopes were dashed after a 10-wicket loss to the Aussies in the second Test, which forced them to slip to No.3 in the standings.

For Rohit Sharma & Co, the race to a third appearance in the WTC final will get tougher from hereon, although it is not impossible as India need to win all their remaining three matches of the Border-Gavaskar trophy to ensure qualification.

The Kangaroos, however, are in a stronger position for a top-two finish. They will also tour Sri Lanka next year for an additional two Tests, meaning they could theoretically draw 2-2 with India and stay in contention for a place in the final.

For the top-placed Proteas, the upcoming two home games against Pakistan will be extremely crucial and if they continue the winning run, they’ll be safely placed to make the World Test Championship irrespective of how the other sides fare.

Meanwhile, licking the wounds from a 2-0 series whitewash at the hands of the Proteas, Sri Lanka have dipped to the fourth place, and their chances of reaching the WTC25 Final will depend on several results to go their way.

England and New Zealand, currently locked in a three-Test series, are at fifth and sixth, and out of the race to the WTC final. Following England’s win in Christchurch in the first Test, both sides were penalised three WTC points for maintaining a slow over-rate and the Black Caps dropped to fifth place in the standings.

New Zealand’s chances of making it to the summit clash took a significant hit after yet another dominating performance by Ben Stokes’ men in the second Test in Wellington. They defeated the hosts by 323 runs and displaced from the fifth position in the WTC standings to No.6, thereby denting their chances of making it to the top 2.