New No.1 South Africa leave behind Australia, India to spice up race to WTC final | Cricket News – Times of India

South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada, centre, celebrates with his teammates after taking a wicket against Sri Lanka. (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: South Africa surged to the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table on Monday following a resounding 109-run victory over Sri Lanka in the second Test at St. George’s Park in Gqeberha. The win also secured a 2-0 series sweep for the Proteas against the visitors.
With this triumph, South Africa now hold 63.33 percentage points, edging past Australia (60.71 percentage points) by 2.62 points. Notably, Australia had briefly claimed the top spot just a day earlier after their dominant 10-wicket win over India in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide.
Team India currently occupies the third position with 57.29 percentage points, while Sri Lanka sit fourth with 45.45 percentage points.
After their ascent to the summit, South Africa’s hopes of making it to the WTC final at Lord’s in June next year hinge on their performance in the remaining two home fixtures against Pakistan.
WTC Points Table after South Africa’s win against Sri Lanka

In the second Test, spinner Keshav Maharaj was instrumental in South Africa’s victory, claiming five wickets on the final day. Maharaj’s figures of 5-76 helped dismiss Sri Lanka for 238, as the Proteas took just 70 minutes to secure the required five wickets.
The match was poised for a thrilling finale with both teams needing a win to stay in contention for a spot in the WTC final. However, South Africa’s clinical display ensured their dominance and kept their dream of competing in the Lord’s final alive.