Photo via Wisden

ICC men's Test team rankings: South Africa leapfrog Australia to go top after 2-1 series win

Kagiso Rabada opened the final day of the Cape Town Test with a three‑wicket burst, while Simon Harmer ripped through the Australian batting line‑up with a six‑for, sealing a 176‑run victory for South Africa and a 2‑1 series win. Australia’s decision to bat first backfired as Marques Ackerman struck 95 off 94 balls, yet Mitchell Starc’s six for 72 helped restrict the hosts to 329, and Josh Inglis’s century gave Australia a 100‑run first‑innings lead.

In the second innings Ackerman added 62, but South Africa collapsed to 181 for five before Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder rescued the innings with centuries from the lower order, forging a 154‑run partnership that set a defendable target. The win lifted South Africa to the top of the ICC Test rankings with 124 points, overtaking Australia, who fell to second with 122 points.

New Zealand remain third on 106 points, while India sit fourth on 105.

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