Australia Aims to Secure No.1 Test Ranking in Cape Town Test Against South Africa

Australia will take on South Africa in the third and final match of the ICC World Test Championship starting on Tuesday in Cape Town, with the top Test ranking on the line, the International Cricket Council (ICC) reported.

The Aussies currently top the World Test Championship standings and hold the No.1 ranking in Test cricket, but a defeat in the series-deciding Test at Newlands will see them lose both.

Australia's wicket-keeper/batter Alex Carey said the team is focused on the positives and preparing well for the Test, rather than worrying about the consequences of a loss.

"As a group, we really believe in what we can achieve," Carey told reporters in Cape Town.

"If that's after this Test we're ranked No.1 or we're not. I think we know what we're capable of when we certainly get it right."

Carey emphasized the importance of taking it one Test at a time, saying "most Test matches feel like finals" under the World Test Championship cycle.

A win in the third Test will boost Australia's chances of earning a place at next year's World Test Championship Final, with a series against New Zealand and a five-match series in India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this year.

The two teams have played two Tests so far, with Australia winning the first Test by 214 runs in Durban and South Africa winning the second Test by an innings and 31 runs in Gqeberha.

The ICC World Test Championship is a league-style competition for Test cricket, with nine teams competing over a two-year period.

The top two teams at the end of the cycle qualify for the World Test Championship Final.

Australia and South Africa have a long history of competing at the highest level in cricket, with both teams having a strong record in Test cricket.

The World Test Championship provides an added layer of excitement and competition to the traditional Test format.