Cricket World Cup 2015 Tables: Updated Standings, Outlook After Day 9 Results

Defending champions India made a clear statement on Day 9 of the 2015 Cricket World Cup, beating South Africa by 130 runs in dominant fashion. The Men in Blue are now the runaway favourites to win Group B and should finish the group stage undefeated.

Sri Lanka recorded a much-needed four-wicket win over Afghanistan, who gave the favourites all they could handle and nearly held on for a famous victory. The Sri Lankans completed the chase with just 10 balls to spare. Here's how the standings look after nine days of competition, courtesy of ESPN Cricinfo:

Group A	Team	Played	Won	Points	NET RR	FOR	AGAINST
Group B	Team	Played	Won	Points	NET RR	FOR	AGAINST
1	New Zealand	3	3	6.0	+3.586	602/87.1	498/150.0
2	Australia	2	1	3.0	+2.220	342/50.0	231/50.0
3	Bangladesh	2	1	3.0	+2.100	267/50.0	162/50.0
4	Sri Lanka	2	1	2.0	-0.861	469/98.2	563/100.0
5	Afghanistan	2	0	0.0	-1.175	394/100.0	503/98.2
6	Scotland	1	0	0.0	-3.039	142/50.0	146/24.5
7	England	2	0	0.0	-3.952	354/100.0	467/62.2
1	India	2	2	4.0	+2.060	607/100.0	401/100.0
2	West Indies	2	1	2.0	+1.267	614/100.0	467/95.5
3	Ireland	1	1	2.0	+0.618	307/45.5	304/50.0
4	Zimbabwe	2	1	2.0	-0.495	563/98.0	624/100.0
2	South Africa	2	1	2.0	-0.680	516/100.0	584/100.0
5	UAE	1	0	0.0	-0.258	285/50.0	286/48.0
6	Pakistan	2	0	0.0	-2.260	384/100.0	610/100.0

With England and Scotland set to play each other on Monday in Christchurch, New Zealand, Sri Lanka needed to get off the mark for their first win to keep their chances at a top-four finish alive.

The Afghans set a manageable target of 232 but came out bowling strongly, as Sri Lanka's first three batsmen combined for just seven runs, all courtesy of Kumar Sangakkara.

It took a while for Sri Lanka to find a rhythm, but ultimately, Mahela Jayawardene's 100 from 120 balls made the difference. Even a broken bat couldn't stop him, per Sky Sports Cricket:

Lasith Malinga improved on his performance against South Africa but still didn't look like his legendary self, giving up 41 runs in 9.4 overs for an economy rate of 4.24 with three wickets. Against a struggling Afghan squad, that simply isn't good enough.

Captain Angelo Mathews also could have done better, bowling seven overs for 41 runs and three wickets, and per ESPN Cricinfo, he openly admitted his team needs to step up its game:

England have struggled tremendously against Australia and New Zealand, the two strongest teams in Group A, and we will learn much about the race for the top four when they play in-form Scotland.

Sri Lanka still rank among the favourites to advance to the next round, but they'll have to take care of business in the head-to-heads with Bangladesh and England.

Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Sunday's most anticipated match was undoubtedly the clash between India and South Africa, and the defending champions didn't disappoint, recording a convincing 130-run win.

The Men in Blue showcased their ridiculous depth in batting, with Shikhar Dhawan contributing 137 runs to the total of 307, just one of four to score double-digit runs. As shared by The Indian Express, that's usually a good sign:

The Proteas' chase didn't have a horrible start, with Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis finding some success, but once the wickets started to fall, the floodgates blasted right open.

South Africa's last five batsmen combined for just 34 runs, and India needed less than 41 overs to end the match. Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammed Shami led another bowling master class, limiting the Proteas to just 177.

Both teams seem like a lock to advance from Group B, where West Indies have struggled for months, Pakistan are winless after two matches, and Ireland have the momentum but lack the sheer quality of the two giants of cricket.

Former cricket star Aakash Chopra thinks it's very clear there's a big gap between the Men in Blue and the Proteas, however:

India made it very clear that they're the team to beat with their big win on Sunday, and fans of the sport must be buzzing at the idea of a matchup between the Men in Blue and the Black Caps, who may have the right combination of bowling, batting and fielding to steal the title from India.

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