ICC World Test Championship 2021-2023: India Comfortably At Top Of WTC Points Table After Oval Test Win

WTC Points Table: Team India has topped the points table of the ICC World Test Championship with 26 points. The team has won two of the four Tests played so far.

India's Virat Kohli, left, and KL Rahul smile as they leave the pitch after India beat England by 157 runs on day five of the fourth Test match at The Oval cricket ground in London, Monday, Sept. 6, 2021. (PTI)

New Delhi: India’s crushing 157-run win over England at The Oval is historic in many ways. While one can start counting all the records that have been broken in the 4th Test match, this Oval Test win has catapulted the Indian cricket team to the top of the points table of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) with 26 points.

In the second season of WTC, team India is playing their first Test series against England. The team has won two of the four Tests played so far and faced defeat in one. At the same time, one match of the series between both the teams ended in a draw.

In the WTC points table, England is in second place with 14 points. 

This second season of WTC will run from 2021 to 2023. Each country will play 3 series on their home ground and 3 series on foreign soil.

India and New Zealand reached the final of the first season of WTC. New Zealand defeated India to clinch the first WTC Championship in the match played at Southampton.

ICC Changed Rules For WTC Second Season 

Significantly, the ICC has made some changes to its points system in the second season of the WTC. Under this, 12 points will be awarded to the match-winning team this time. If the match is a tie, both teams will be awarded 6 points each. In case the match is drawn, 4 points each will be distributed between the two teams.

At the same time, the team rankings will be decided based on percentage points. This time the points of the teams will be deducted for the slow over-rate. 

India got a total of 28 points from the series with two wins and a draw. However, India lost two points due to a slow over-rate. Coming to percentage points, India is currently at the first sport with 54.16 percent. England is at fourth place with 29.16 percent England but second in terms of points. England also lost two points due to a slow over-rate.

Pakistan is third in the list with one win and one defeat in two matches in terms of points. It has a total of 12 points with 50 percentage points. West Indies is at fourth place in the points table with one win and one defeat in two matches. West Indies also has 12 points with 50 percentage points.

Talking about defending champions New Zealand, they have not played a single Test in the second season of the WTC so far. Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have also not played a single Test so far.