Australia won the South Africa vs Australia 1st Test by 214 runs at Kingsmead, Durban, on Tuesday to go 1-0 up in the three-match series. Josh Hazlewood took 6 for 49, the best figures of his Test career, as South Africa were bowled out for 206 on the final day while chasing 421.
The win takes Australia to a points percentage (PCT) of 81.82 in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 table, and South Africa drop from second to third. It was the first Test between the two sides since South Africa beat Australia in the 2025 WTC final at Lord’s.
South Africa vs Australia 1st Test: how it was won
Renshaw rescues Australia
Australia won the toss and batted, and they were in real trouble at 124 for 6 on the first evening. They were still only 230 for 8 early on day two. Matt Renshaw then turned the match. He made 190 and added 134 for the ninth wicket with Nathan Lyon, protecting the tail by keeping most of the strike. Australia finished on 390.
Wiaan Mulder was South Africa’s best bowler with four wickets. Anrich Nortje took two on his return to Test cricket after three and a half years away. Mulder admitted after day two that South Africa should have been smarter with their fields once Renshaw was batting with the lower order.
A lead of 106, then a big declaration
South Africa replied with 284, which left them 106 behind on first innings. Australia then declared their second innings on 314 for 6, setting South Africa 421 to win.
Markram’s long fight
Aiden Markram gave South Africa hope. He batted for 237 balls for 75 and kept them in the match deep into the final day, with support from Mulder (29) and Marco Jansen (35). Markram was eventually given out caught after a review, and South Africa’s resistance faded quickly after that.
Hazlewood finishes it
Hazlewood did most of the damage with the ball. Renshaw also chipped in with two wickets, including Kyle Verreynne, caught by Steve Smith at slip for a duck. The match ended before tea when Nortje was caught by Lyon off Hazlewood. Renshaw was named player of the match.
Updated WTC points table
| Pos | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points deducted | Points | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 81.82 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 72.22 |
| 3 | South Africa | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 60.00 |
| 4 | Bangladesh | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 55.56 |
| 5 | India | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 68 | 51.52 |
| 6 | England | 16 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 14 | 74 | 38.54 |
| 7 | Sri Lanka | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 33.33 |
| 8 | West Indies | 12 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 20.83 |
| 9 | Pakistan | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 5 | 4.63 |
Standings after the South Africa vs Australia 1st Test in Durban, before any over-rate penalty. The ICC usually confirms over-rate penalties a few days after a Test, and our full WTC points table 2025-27 page explains how PCT and deductions work.
A win is worth 12 points. Australia now have 108 points from a possible 132, which is where the 81.82 comes from. South Africa have 36 points from 60, a PCT of exactly 60.00.
What it means for South Africa
South Africa were second before this match, on 75.00 from four Tests. One defeat from such a small number of games has cost them 15 points of PCT and dropped them below New Zealand. They have a busy home season to fix it: two more Tests against Australia this month, two against Bangladesh in November and three against England from December.
What it means for India
India are fifth on 51.52 with seven Tests left: two in New Zealand in November and five at home against Australia. If India won all seven, they would finish on 70.37. That is now below Australia’s current 81.82 and New Zealand’s 72.22.
So India cannot reach the 2027 final on their own results alone. They need the teams above them to drop points. The good news for India is that their remaining Tests are against those two sides, so every Indian win also takes points away from a rival.
What comes next
The second Test runs from 18 to 22 October, and the third from 27 to 31 October. A win in the second Test would give Australia the series with a match to spare. South Africa must win both remaining Tests to take the series. The WTC 2027 final is at The Oval, London, from 9 to 13 June 2027.
Sources: ABC News and Outlook India
