India have maintained their hold over the second spot on the ICC World Test Championship points table following their fighting win over England in Ranchi on Monday. India’s five-wicket win on the fourth day of the fourth Test has given them an an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
With the latest result, India’s point-percentage jumped from 59.52 to 64.58 following the hard-fought win and they further extended the gap with Australia (55%) and Bangladesh (50%), third third and fourth-placed teams, respectively.
Also Read: India Huff and Puff to 5-wicket Win
England, on the other hand, are languishing at eighth with 19.44%, just a spot ahead of bottom-placed Sri Lanka, who are yet to open their account.
India have so far played eight Tests in the current WTC cycle, winning five, losing two and drawing one match.
England’s ‘Bazball’ approach doesn’t seem to have given them rich dividends with the visitors having won just three matches, while losing five and drawing one so far.
New Zealand are leading the standing with 75 percentage points and have played just four Test so far.
A total of 12 points are awarded for a win, six for a tie and four for a draw. Teams are ranked according to the percentage of points.
The top-two teams will progress to the final at Lord’s in 2025.
India have reached the WTC final both the times since the format was launched. They lost to New Zealand in the inaugural championship final, while bowing to Australia in the second edition.
India have a great chance to further cement their second position if they win the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala, beginning from March 7.
This is England’s first Test series defeat since the appointment of Ben Stokes as captain and arrival of Brendon McCullum as the head coach. They started their tour with a stunning win in Hyderabad to take 1-0 lead before India bounced back to draw level in Vizag and then took a 2-1 lead in Rajkot.
With PTI Inputs
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