Media365
Australia have secured a 2-0 lead in the 2025/26 Ashes series by defeating England with an eight-wicket victory in the Brisbane day-night Test on Sunday.Joe Root achieved his first Test century in Australia, helping England reach 334 in their first innings. Zak Crawley contributed 76 runs, while Jofra Archer scored 38, making it the third-highest score of the innings.
Australia responded strongly in their innings, with every batter scoring double figures without reaching a century. They established a substantial 177-run lead over England.England’s second innings began promisingly with a 48-run opening partnership. However, they soon struggled, falling to 97-3 and later 128-6, facing the possibility of an innings defeat.Ben Stokes and Will Jacks showed resilience during the first session of day four. They achieved England’s first complete batting session without losing a wicket in the 2025/26 Ashes. Their partnership added 96 runs in 221 deliveries for the seventh wicket.Australia needed 65 runs to win but lost two wickets during the chase. Travis Head was bowled after the ball deflected off his stumps, and Marnus Labuschagne was caught behind off Gus Atkinson’s bowling. The hosts completed the victory in 10 overs, with Steve Smith finishing the match with a six.Australia maintain their top position in the World Test Championship standings with five victories in five matches. South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and India complete the top five positions.England have moved down to seventh place from their previous sixth position. New Zealand, following their recent draw against the West Indies, have moved up to sixth place.
Here is the current WTC 2025-27 standings
| Position | Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn | No Result | Deducted | Points | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 100 |
| 2 | South Africa | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 75 |
| 3 | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 66.67 |
| 4 | Pakistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 50 |
| 5 | India | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 48.15 |
| 6 | New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 33.33 |
| 7 | England | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 30.95 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 16.67 |
| 9 | West Indies | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5.55 |
