Durban: Australia's emphatic 214-run victory over South Africa in the first Test at Kingsmead has led to notable advancements for several Australian players on the latest ICC Men's Test Player Rankings. According to International Cricket Council, Matthew Renshaw's stellar performance, featuring a decisive 190 in the first innings and 82 in the second, earned him the Player of the Match accolade and propelled him from outside the top 100 to a joint 49th position among Test batters.

Teammate Marnus Labuschagne also saw a significant rise, climbing four places to 34th. On the South African side, opener Aiden Markram improved his standing by moving into a shared 10th position. Among the bowlers, Australia's Josh Hazlewood achieved career-best figures of 6/49 on the final day, resulting in a two-spot climb to seventh overall, while Mitchell Starc remains the top-ranked Test bowler, albeit with a reduced lead.

In other developments, South Africa's Anrich Nortje returned to the rankings at 34th after a lengthy absence. Meanwhile, Wiaan Mulder and Simon Harmer of South Africa made strides in the all-rounder rankings. The rankings update also reflects movements from the recent Afghanistan-Bangladesh Test and the ongoing India-West Indies T20I series, with players like Rahmat Shah, Litton Das, and Shreyas Iyer achieving new career highs.