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England beat Sri Lanka by 5 wickets in 1st Test. (Picture Credit: AP)
England chased down the target of 205 runs in the fourth innings for the loss of five wickets in 57.2 overs to secure a win over Sri Lanka in the 1st Test.
England beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the first Test of the ongoing three-match series on Saturday (August 24). The Ollie Pope-led side chased down the target of 205 runs in the fourth innings for the loss of five wickets in 57.2 overs to win the Manchester Test and go 1-0 up in the series.
World No. 1 Test batter Joe Root top-scored for the hosts in the second inning by remaining unbeaten on 62 runs from 128 balls. He added 64 runs for the fifth wicket with first-inning centurion Jamie Smith (39).
By getting the better of the Dhananjaya da Silva-led side in the first Test, England has improved its position in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 points table and has now moved to No. 4 position. The Poms have 41.07 PCT%. On the other hand, Sri Lanka, which started the series at No. 4, has now dropped to No. 5 with 40.00 PCT%.
World Test Championship 2023-25 points table
| POSITION | TEAM | PCT% |
| 1. | India | 68.52 |
| 2. | Australia | 62.50 |
| 3. | New Zealand | 50.00 |
| 4. | England | 41.07 |
| 5. | Sri Lanka | 40.00 |
| 6. | South Africa | 38.89 |
| 7. | Pakistan | 36.66 |
| 8. | Bangladesh | 25.00 |
| 9. | West Indies | 18.52 |
The rise of England also means South Africa and Pakistan have now slipped to No. 6 and 7 positions, respectively.
The Shan Masood-led side, which is currently engaged in a two-match Test series at home against Bangladesh, will drop below Bangladesh if the Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side manages to get the better of them on Sunday (August 25).
The No. 1 position in the WTC points table is occupied by the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team. The two-time losing finalists have 68.52 PCT%, and they are followed by 2023 champions Australia, which have 62.50 PCT%.
The India team, which last played a red-ball match in March, will return to action next month. In the first series of the 2024–25 season at home, India will face Bangladesh in two Tests and then take on New Zealand in a three-match Test series. After the two red-ball assignments in front of home fans, India will travel to Australia to face the Pat Cummins-led side in a five-match Test series. The series opener of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is scheduled to take place in Perth from November 22 onwards.
