England and Bangladesh have both made significant progress in the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship standings after securing impressive victories in their recent matches.
The English team emerged victorious over Sri Lanka by five wickets in the inaugural Test held in Manchester. On the other hand, Bangladesh achieved a remarkable win over Pakistan by 10 wickets in the opening match of the Test series in Rawalpindi. This historic victory marked Bangladesh's first-ever Test triumph over Pakistan.
The Test matches began on August 21, with the England-Sri Lanka match concluding in just four days. England took a commanding lead after bowling Sri Lanka out for 236 in the first innings, with Jamie Smith scoring his maiden Test century (111).
Despite Sri Lanka struggling at 95-4 in the third innings, they managed to set England a target of 205 to win, thanks to Kamindu Mendis (113) and Dinesh Chandimal (79). England's successful chase was led by Joe Root, who scored an unbeaten 62 to secure a five-wicket victory.
In Rawalpindi, Pakistan chose to bat first on a rain-affected day one. They eventually declared on day two at 448-6, with Mohammad Rizwan scoring an impressive unbeaten 171. Bangladesh responded strongly, batting patiently to reach 565, with Mushfiqur Rahim leading the charge with 191 runs.
On the fifth day of the match, Bangladesh demonstrated their dominance by taking nine wickets in under two sessions, ultimately bowling Pakistan out for a mere 146 runs. The openers, Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam, efficiently chased down the required 30 runs in just 6.3 overs, securing a well-deserved victory.
Here's updated WTC 2023-25 Points Table
These results have had a significant impact on the points table, with England climbing from sixth place to fourth, pushing Sri Lanka down to fifth. Despite their recent win, the chances of England making it to the WTC final remain slim.
As for Sri Lanka, it is still early in their WTC cycle, and while they are mathematically still in contention for the final, the reality is less optimistic. Bangladesh's historic win over Pakistan has reshuffled the points table, with both teams now tied at a 40% points percentage. Bangladesh has surpassed Pakistan and South Africa, moving up to sixth place.
Conversely, Pakistan has experienced a decline in their ranking, now second from the bottom of the table. Their recent loss marks their ninth consecutive winless home Test match.
Also read| PAK vs BAN, 1st Test: Bangladesh create history in Rawalpindi, beat Pakistan for first time in red-ball format
