Dubai: After winning the second Test in Durban on Wednesday, Australia have secured their place at the top of the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table.
Australia now have an unassailable lead in the ongoing Test series in South Africa.
Although the table is only updated at the end of each series, South Africa knew before the series started that they needed to win in order to move ahead of Ricky Ponting's team by the annual cut-off date of April 1.
Now that a series defeat for Graeme Smith and his men is inevitable, Australia can breathe easy in the knowledge that the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship mace will be returning with them to Cricket Australia's headquarters in Melbourne along with a cheque for $175,000.
Consolation for the Proteas could still come in the form of a cheque for $75,000 for being ranked second in the table when the cut-off date comes around. But if Australia win the third and final Test in Cape Town, South Africa will drop below India into third position and it will be Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team that claims the prize money for coming second in the rankings on the 1 April cut-off date.
If the final Test in Cape Town ends in a draw with Australia winning the series 2-0, South Africa and India would be level on exactly 118 ratings points, meaning the prize money for coming second would be shared equally between them.
Before the series, Australia's lead had been cut to five ratings points and a series win of any kind would have been enough for South Africa to go top. But after the disappointment of losing 2-1 at home to the Proteas, Australia emerged stronger and more determined than ever to stay on top of the world.
If Australia wrap up the final Test, they will go to 130 ratings points, some 12 clear of India who will then come second. But a win for the Proteas will mean the gap is just nine points.
On song
Far left: Australian bowler Simon Katich (third left) celebrates with his team-mates as South African batsman Morne Morkel (right) is dismissed for 24 runs on the final day of the second Test between South Africa and Australia at Kingsmead in Durban. Australia won the match by 175 runs to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match Test series, retaining their position as the world's top Test cricket side.
Left: India's Sachin Tendulkar plays to the boundary against New Zealand. India are currently battling for second in the ratings with South Africa.
