• England move to top of WTC standings

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    England took a big step towards securing their place in the World Test Championship final after beating India by 227 runs on Tuesday.

    The win in Chennai moved Joe Root’s men to the top of the WTC standings, surpassing New Zealand, who already booked their spot in the final.

    For England to officially seal their place in the final, to be played at Lord’s, they must win two more matches in the Test series against India.

    READ: England thump India in first Test

    That means either a 3-1, 3-0 or 4-0 series win will be enough. India, on the other hand, slumped to fourth in the standings following the defeat.

    Another loss in the series will all but kill their chances of reaching the final, with a 2-1 or 3-1 win over England possible outcomes for them to face Kane Williamson’s charges.

    Should the series between England and India end in a draw or England only win 1-0 or 2-1, then Australia, who are currently in third, will go through to face their Tasman rivals.

    Australia recently cancelled their proposed tour of South Africa due to Covid-19 concerns, placing their fate completely in the England-India series outcome.

    Up until the completion of the Chennai match, England have played 18 Test matches since the championship started with Australia and India on 14.

    New Zealand made it through, having played 11 Tests, eight of them on home soil.

    Pakistan moved up to fifth in the standings after their 2-0 series victory over the Proteas. They played 12 Test matches in the competition, while South Africa have played 11.

    With one match remaining in the series between Bangladesh and West Indies, the men from the Caribbean will end the championship with nine matches and Bangladesh only five. Sri Lanka currently occupy second-last place with one win from their eight matches.

    Post by

    Andre Huisamen