The mighty Australian team has retained its position at the top of the ICC World Test Championship points table with five consecutive wins in this edition of the WTC. The Baggy Green, led by their stand-in captain Steve Smith, are 2-0 in the ongoing Ashes.
Australia has extended its lead in the home Ashes Test series after defeating England in the day/night pink ball Test at the iconic Gabba in Brisbane. The Australian team has been essentially good in the pink ball Tests and they have continued their record.
As well as extending their lead in the Ashes, the Australian team has also continued their excellent form in the current ICC World Test Championship cycle. They have won all 5 of their matches in the competition without a single loss or draw. The Australian team could be eyeing its third entry in the WTC final.
Joe Root’s first century went in vain, Australia beats 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 so for the first time in this game. This great England player completed his 40th Test century in the first innings and gave a respectable start to England.
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc turned the situation around by taking another 6 wickets in the series. The specialist fast bowler has taken 18 wickets in two matches and was also the player of the series against West Indies in the Caribbean.
Root’s century went in vain, as several players in the Australian XI contributed important half-centuries. Travis Head and Cameron Green missed fifties but remained promising scorers.
But what changed the game to a great extent was Mitchell Starc’s innings of 77 runs, which troubled the English fast bowlers on the third day and Australia crossed the 500-run mark and took a lead of 170 runs in the second innings. The next game-changing moment came with Michael Neser taking 5 wickets, as England were all out for just 241 runs in the second innings. Australia achieved the target of 65 runs with 8 wickets remaining.
ICC World Test Championship points table (updated)
| Situation | Team | played | won | lost | Drag | dead | score | 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 likely to return to Adelaide
Australian captain Pat Cummins is out of competitive cricket since July 2025 and is expected to return in the Ashes. Cummins’ return to Gabba is considered almost certain, so it can be assured that he is definitely making a comeback in Adelaide.
Following his return, the captaincy will be handed back to the speedster; However, Steve Smith has been an excellent captain in the last two matches. His timing of switching between bowlers, fielding placement and his strategy of putting pressure on the opposition worked.
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