South Africa go on top, push Australia to second; India slide to third in WTC points table
Dubai, Dec 9: South Africa on Monday replaced Australia at the top of the ICC World Test Championship table after their massive 109-run over Sri Lanka while India are now in the third place following their defeat in the Adelaide Test.
South Africa now have 63.33 percentage points after 10 matches in the cycle and they are followed by Australia (60.71 PTC).
India were leading the WTC table, heading into the Adelaide Test after their massive win in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener in Perth.
India had 61.11 points heading into the pink ball Test in Adelaide which they lost inside three days and they now stand third with 57.29 percentage points.
The best possible way for India to make a third appearance in the WTC final next year would be to win each of the three remaining Tests in Australia.
Australia had 57.69 percentage points before the Adelaide Test which improved to 60.71 after their win.
But even as they grabbed the top spot with the contest ending on Sunday, Australia remained table-toppers only for one day as the Proteas surged ahead with their win in the second Test at St George’s Park in Gqeberha.
With the Border-Gavaskar series now tied at 1-1, Australia are in a strong position for a top-two finish.
They will also tour Sri Lanka next year for an additional two Tests, meaning they could theoretically draw 2-2 with India and stay in contention for a place in the final.
Both England and New Zealand have been penalised with three WTC points each for slow over-rate in the Christchurch Test, according to the ICC.
South Africa on 🔝
— ICC (@ICC) December 9, 2024
The Proteas displace Australia at the summit of the #WTC25 standings after #SAvSL series sweep 👊
Latest state of play 👉 https://t.co/1TUUJ5ThVs pic.twitter.com/bXizReyaAu
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PM Modi holds bilateral talks with several leaders
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held talks with top leaders of Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Slovakia with a focus on shoring up bilateral cooperation in trade and technology sectors.
He also held a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and discussed how the global body can play a "constructive role" in making use of artificial intelligence inclusive.
Modi met Guterres and other leaders on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit.
We talked about making AI all inclusive and how the UN can play a constructive role in this regard, the prime minister said on his talks with the UN chief.
"Reiterated India's support towards any effort aimed at harnessing AI for a better planet. We also exchanged perspectives on UN reforms, especially giving greater voice to the Global South," he said on social media.
Following his talks with Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Modi said both sides will continue to work in close cooperation to ensure regional security and prosperity.
"Delighted to meet Prime Minister of Mauritius, Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam. Reaffirmed our shared commitment to take our enhanced Strategic Partnership to new heights in AI, technology, culture and people-to-people ties," he said.
Modi also described Mauritius as a vital partner in India's MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision.
On his meeting with Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the prime minister said: "We took stock of the progress in India-Sri Lanka relations in the recent times."
"We also discussed avenues of cooperation in areas such as energy, connectivity, infrastructure, healthcare, skilling, culture, blue economy and more," he added.
Modi said he and Slovak President Peter Pellegrini discussed bilateral cooperation in areas of defence, space and digital public infrastructure.
My meeting with Peter Pellegrini, President of the Slovak Republic was "very productive", the prime minister said on social media.
"The recent India-EU FTA will create several opportunities to boost trade and investment between our nations. Other subjects we discussed included cooperation in digital technology, StartUps, Digital Public Infrastructure, defence, space and more," he said.
