Australia have strengthened their grip at the top of the World Test Championship 2025-27 standings after a dominant performance on the final day in Durban sealed a crushing 214-run win over South Africa, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.The Durban Test swung one way and then the other before Australia took complete control, thanks largely to a career-best performance from Player of the Match Matt Renshaw. Reduced to 124/6 on Day 1 by a lively South African seam attack, Renshaw produced a superb rescue act, scoring 190 and sharing an 83-run stand with Pat Cummins and a record 123-run partnership with Nathan Lyon to lift Australia to 390. That gave the tourists a handy 106-run first-innings lead. Renshaw struck again in the second innings, hitting a brisk 82 off 99 balls alongside Nic Maddinson’s 48, helping Australia declare at 314/6. Set an improbable 421 to win, South Africa’s resistance, built around Aiden Markram’s gritty 75, fell apart on the final day against Josh Hazlewood’s relentless spell of 6/49. Renshaw even picked up his maiden Test wicket as the hosts were bowled out for 206.Updated WTC 2025-27 StandingsThe win, Australia’s ninth in 11 matches this cycle, lifted their points percentage (PCT) to a dominant 81.82 (108 points). Meanwhile, South Africa’s campaign suffered its second defeat in five outings, causing the defending champions to drop to third position with their PCT sliding to 60.00.New Zealand have capitalised on the Proteas’ slip, moving up to second place with a PCT of 72.22 after losing just once in six matches. Bangladesh hold onto fourth spot on 55.56 (40 points from six games), while India remain in fifth position on 51.52 (68 points from 11 matches) following their 1-0 series win in Sri Lanka.Further down the ladder, England occupy sixth position with a PCT of 38.54 across 16 matches (seven wins, eight losses, one draw), their tally pegged back by a heavy 14-point over-rate deduction. Sri Lanka are seventh on 33.33, West Indies sit eighth on 20.83 (docked two penalty points), and Pakistan remain rooted to the foot of the table in ninth place with 14.63 PCT following nine penalty points.PosTeamPlayedWonLostDrawDedPointsPCT1AUS11920010881.822NZ641105272.223SA532003660.004BAN632104055.565IND1154206851.526ENG16781147438.547SL612302433.338WI1228223020.839PAK92701954.63(Table updated after South Africa vs Australia 1st Test in Durban on October 13, 2026)