ICC WTC 2025–2027: Australia’s Commanding Lead After Ashes Triumph
Former champions Australia have taken a commanding lead at the top of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 standings after annihilating England 4–1 in the Ashes series that concluded at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.
Ashes Finale: Australia Hold Nerve in SCG Chase
Chasing a modest 160-run target on the final day of the fifth Test, Australia scraped home after England briefly threatened a late twist with a flurry of wickets. The hosts lost five wickets in the chase, but calm heads prevailed as wicketkeeper Alex Carey and all-rounder Cameron Green stitched together a crucial partnership.
Bethell’s Brave Resistance for England
England managed to push the contest into a fifth day largely due to a rearguard fight from No. 3 Jacob Bethell, who cracked his maiden Test century on Wednesday. The left-hander etched his name into the record books by becoming the second youngest batter in the 21st century to score an Ashes hundred, after Alastair Cook in 2006.
Australia’s WTC Surge Explained
Australia’s victory in Sydney marked their seventh win of the ongoing WTC 2025–27 cycle. As a result, their points percentage (PCT) improved from 85.71 to 87.50, reinforcing their position at the summit of the table.
England Slip Further Behind
For England, the defeat was another setback in a difficult WTC campaign. The Ashes loss marked their sixth defeat in 10 matches, dragging their PCT down to 31.66. Led by Ben Stokes, England now remain seventh on the table, only marginally ahead of Bangladesh and the West Indies.
Challengers in the WTC Race
While Australia sit comfortably on top, the battle beneath them is tightly packed:
New Zealand, the inaugural WTC winners, remain second after three matches with a strong PCT of 77.78.
South Africa follow closely at 75.00, showing renewed consistency.
Sri Lanka round out the top four with a PCT of 66.67.
With many teams still having significant portions of their schedules left, the race for the top two spots remains open—though Australia have built a substantial buffer.
Latest ICC WTC 2025–27 Points Table (as of January 8, 2026)
| Pos | Team | Matches | Wins | Defeats | Draws | Points | Ded | PCT (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 84 | 0 | 87.50 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 28 | – | 77.78 |
| 3 | South Africa | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 75.00 |
| 4 | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 66.67 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 50.00 |
| 6 | India | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 52 | 0 | 48.15 |
| 7 | England | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 26 | 2 | 31.66 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 16.67 |
| 9 | West Indies | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4.17 |
WTC Points System Explained
Win: 12 points
Tie: 6 points
Draw: 4 points
Teams are ranked by Points Percentage (PCT), not total points.
Top two teams qualify for the WTC Final in 2027.
Point deductions apply for slow over rates.
Conclusion
Australia’s 4–1 Ashes triumph has not only reaffirmed their supremacy over England but has also placed them firmly in pole position in the ICC WTC 2025–27 cycle. With an imposing PCT of 87.50, the defending champions have set the early benchmark for consistency and dominance.
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