The mighty Aussies have retained their position at the top of the ICC World Test Championship Points Table with five consecutive wins in this edition of the WTC. Under their stand-in skipper, Steve Smith, the baggy green has moved 2-0 in the ongoing Ashes.
Australia extends their lead further into the home Ashes Test series after it defeated England in a Day/Night pink ball Test at the iconic Gabba in Brisbane. The Aussies have been inevitably good in pink-ball Tests, and they continue their record.
Alongside extending their lead in the Ashes, the Aussies have also continued their stellar form in the current ICC World Test Championship cycle. They have won all 5 of their matches without a single loss or a draw in the competition. The Aussies might be eyeing their third entry into the WTC final.
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Joe Root’s maiden hundred in vain as Australia crush England in pink-ball Test
England veteran Joe Root, who had never reached the three-figure mark in the longest format of the game on Australian soil, did it for the first time in this game. England’s great reached his 40th Test hundred in the first innings and gave England a respectable start.
The Australian paceman Mitchell Starc turned the tide with another 6-wicket haul in the series. The expert paceman has picked 18 wickets in two games and was also the player of the series against the West Indies in the Caribbean.
Root’s hundred went in vain, as multiple players from the Australian XI contributed with significant half-centuries. Travis Head and Cameron Green missed out on fifties but remained promising scorers.
But what changed the game immensely was Mitchell Starc’s 77, which tormented the English pacers on Day 3, and Australia went past the 500-run mark and took a 170-run advantage going into the second innings. The next such game-changing moment came with Michael Neser‘s 5-wicket haul as England were bowled out for just 241 in the second innings. Australia chased the 65-run target with 8 wickets remaining.
ICC World Test Championship Points Table (Updated)
| Pos | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Draw | Ded | Points | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 100.00 |
| 2 | South Africa | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 75.00 |
| 3 | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 66.67 |
| 4 | Pakistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 50.00 |
| 5 | India | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 48.15 |
| 6 | New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 33.33 |
| 7 | England | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 26 | 30.95 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 16.67 |
| 9 | West Indies | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5.56 |
Pat Cummins is likely to make a comeback at Adelaide
Australian skipper Pat Cummins has been ruled out of competitive cricket since July 2025, and his comeback is anticipated in the Ashes. With Cummins almost considered for a comeback at the Gabba, it can be assured that he is surely making his return at Adelaide.
After his return, the captaincy would be switched back to the speedster; however, Steve Smith has been an absolute gem of a captain over the last two matches. His timing of switching between bowlers, fielding placements and tactics to pressurise the opposition came in handy.
