WTC points table: Post the iconic Ashes series, where do England, Australia and India stand

The ICC announced penalties for both teams due to slow overrates.

Ashes 2023

The 2023 Ashes series concluded with a gripping victory by England over Australia in the fifth and final Test held in London. Although Australia managed to retain the Ashes urn, the series ended in a 2-2 draw.

Australia secured victories in the first two matches, while England staged an impressive comeback in the third Test. A draw due to rain in Manchester sealed Australia's retention of the Ashes.

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However, the happiness of the final Test victory did not stay for long as the ICC announced penalties for both teams due to slow overrates. This has complicated matters for England and Australia in the new cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC).

England incurred a five-point penalty for their slow over-rate in the fifth Test, while Australia faced a total deduction of 10 points from the 28 points they had earned throughout the Ashes series.

Remarkably, England, who also earned 28 points in the series, lost 19 of those points due to penalties for slow over rates.

England fell short by two overs in the first Test at Edgbaston, nine overs in the second Test at Lord's, three overs in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, and five overs in the final Test at The Oval.

As per the revised regulations implemented in July, both teams faced fines of five per cent of their match fee and a deduction of one World Test Championship point for every over they were short.

So where do the teams stand on the WTC table?

Following these point deductions, Australia's position in the table shifted to third place with 30 percentage points, trailing behind Pakistan (1st with 100 percentage points) and India (2nd with 66.67 percentage points). Meanwhile, England currently occupies the fifth spot in the standings with 15 percentage points.

Test cricket will go on hiatus until November of this year as attention will shift towards the ODI format, with the 2023 ODI World Cup slated for October to November.

Australia's return to the Test arena will come in the form of a three-Test series against Pakistan, scheduled for December to January.

On the other hand, England's Test action won't resume until late January of the following year, when they embark on a tour of India for a comprehensive five-match red-ball series.

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