South Africa Stuns Australia to Claim No. 1 Test Ranking

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-11-01

Australia's reign at the top of Test cricket is over. South Africa's 2-1 series win in Cape Town didn't just secure the trophy—it knocked Australia off the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings and pushed them down to third in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings. ### How the WTC Table Shifts South Africa's victory moved them to second place with a points percentage of 71.43, while Australia now sit at 69.23. Before the series, Australia were flying high at 80 percentage points. New Zealand lead the pack with 72.22, and India are fourth at 51.52. With the top three teams separated by just a few points, every match counts. ### Bavuma: This One Means More For South Africa captain Temba Bavuma, this series is personal. "That [No.1 ranking] is exceptional," he said. "It's been part of our ambition as a team." He didn't stop there—Bavuma called the win over Australia the best series of his career. "Every time you get an opportunity to come up against Australia, you savour that. I don't think I've been involved in a better series." The Proteas are the defending world champions, and this latest achievement only adds to their growing legacy. ### What's Next for the Top Teams Australia won't have to wait long for a shot at redemption. They host New Zealand in a four-match Test series starting December 9 in Perth. South Africa have a two-week break before welcoming Bangladesh for two Tests in November—a series that could determine whether they hold onto second place. New Zealand, meanwhile, face India in a two-match series before touring Australia. India, currently fourth, have a chance to climb when they take on New Zealand. With so little separating the top teams, the rankings could look very different in a few months. One thing's for sure: the race for the WTC final is heating up.