England Faces Setback in World Test Championship After Slow Over-Rate Penalty
England's Thrilling Victory at Lord's
Under the leadership of Ben Stokes, England encountered a minor setback in their pursuit of qualifying for the World Test Championship Final after a nail-biting win against India in the third Test at Lord's, London, on July 14.
With a thrilling 22-run victory, England now leads the five-match series 2-1. Chasing a target of 193 runs, the home team managed to secure the win on the tense final day, despite a valiant effort from Ravindra Jadeja, who fought hard to help India reach the target but ultimately fell short.
Bowling Challenges and Final Wicket
The England bowlers faced significant challenges from Jadeja's determination, as he pushed Team India to chase the 193-run target throughout the final day. The match concluded dramatically when Shoaib Bashir took the last wicket of Mohammed Siraj, sealing the victory for England.
WTC Points Deduction for Slow Over-Rate
Despite their thrilling win at Lord's, England was penalized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on July 16 for slow over-rate violations. According to the ICC's announcement, the team lost two World Test Championship points due to two infractions.
The ICC stated, "This penalty falls under Article 16.11.2 of the ICC World Test Championship playing conditions, where a team is docked one point for each over bowled short, considering time allowances."
Additionally, each player on the England team received a 10% deduction from their match fee for not adhering to the allotted bowling time, as per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct.
Impact of New Rules on England's Standing
Following their victory at Lord's, England briefly climbed to second place in the World Test Championship standings with 24 points and a percentage of 66.67%. However, the deduction of two points due to slow over-rate violations has dropped them to third place, with their points now at 22 and a percentage of 61.11%.
As a result of England's point reduction, Sri Lanka has moved up to second place with 16 points and a percentage of 66.77%. In the previous World Test Championship cycle, England faced a significant penalty of 22 points for similar slow over-rate issues, and they have begun to lose points early in the current cycle.