The final stage of the 2021–2023 World Test Championship has started. By defeating Pakistan by 26 runs in the second Test, England significantly reduced Pakistan’s chances of earning a spot in the WTC. The hosts needed to defeat England in the Test series in order to move up from the fifth place in the WTC points standings.
The possibilities of the Pakistan team reaching the WTC final have all but been eliminated as a result of England winning the two Test matches. The winners of the four series will advance to the WTC Finals 2023. The two slots will be determined by Australia vs West Indies, Pakistan vs England, and India vs Bangladesh in addition to Australia vs South Africa. As per the updated ICC points table, currently, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and India are at the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th spots respectively.
England defeated Pakistan by 26 runs
The second Test Match between England and Pakistan ended in a thrilling victory for England. England now holds a 2-0 series lead after winning the game by a margin of 26 runs. England has earned 12 significant ICC World Test Championship points (WTC 2021-23).
For the second Test Match, England made one tactical adjustment by inserting Mark Wood in place of the injured Livingstone. Azhar Ali, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah were replaced on the Pakistani team by Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, and Abrar Ahmed.
Updated ICC World Test Championship Points Table
| TEAM | PCT (%) | PTS | MATCHES | ||
| Win | Loss | Draw | |||
| AUSTRALIA | 75 | 108 | 8 | 1 | 3 |
| SOUTH AFRICA | 60 | 72 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| SRI LANKA | 53.33 | 64 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| INDIA | 52.08 | 75 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| ENGLAND | 44.44 | 112 | 9 | 8 | 4 |
| PAKISTAN | 42.42 | 56 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| WEST INDIES | 40.91 | 54 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| NEW ZEALAND | 25.93 | 28 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| BANGLADESH | 13.33 | 16 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
How can India reach WTC Finals?
India’s current 4th-place standing in the World Test Championship table is not set in stone. They stand a chance to move up in the rankings if they will win their next six Test matches against Bangladesh and Australia.
India will host Australia in a four-match series. A 4-0 or 3-0 win against Australia, combined with England winning in Pakistan and New Zealand winning against Sri Lanka, could move India up to 2nd place in the table with a 68.06% win percentage.
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