Australia Stay Perfect as England's WTC Hopes Take Another Hit
Australia Perfect, England Tumble: How the WTC Table Shifted After Perth’s Two-Day Thriller
Travis Head’s explosive century powered Australia to a historic eight-wicket victory over England inside two days at Perth, cementing the hosts’ position at the top of the World Test Championship standings while sending England’s percentage points plummeting further down the ladder.
The first Ashes Test to finish within 48 hours since 1921 produced a seismic shift in the WTC race, with Australia maintaining their flawless 100 per cent record and England’s hopes of reaching the final taking another significant blow.
Australia Stay Perfect at the Summit
Australia’s comprehensive victory in Perth marks their fourth consecutive win in the 2025-27 WTC cycle, keeping them firmly planted at the top of the table with a perfect percentage of 100.00. The win adds another 12 points to their tally, bringing them to 48 points from four matches.
Having whitewashed the West Indies earlier in the cycle, Steve Smith’s men have shown no signs of slowing down despite the absence of regular captain Pat Cummins and premier paceman Josh Hazlewood. Mitchell Starc’s career-best 10-wicket match haul (7/58 and 3/55) and Travis Head’s blistering 123 off 83 balls proved that Australia’s depth runs deep.
Their current standing gives them a significant buffer over second-placed South Africa, who have won six of seven matches but sit on 71.43 PCT. With the Ashes series still having four Tests to play, Australia are well-positioned to book their spot in next year’s WTC final at Lord’s.
England’s Slide Continues
For England, the Perth defeat represents another painful setback in their WTC campaign. Ben Stokes’ side dropped from 43.33 PCT to 36.11 PCT, though they remain in sixth position on the nine-team table.
With two wins, three defeats, and one draw from six matches, England have also been docked two points for slow over-rate offenses during the cycle. Their 26-point tally leaves them a considerable distance from the top two spots that guarantee a place in the WTC final.
The manner of the defeat—squandering control after leading by 40 runs in the first innings—will sting even more. England dominated the first four sessions, reducing Australia to 132 all out thanks to Ben Stokes’ five-wicket haul and searing spells from Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse.
But a catastrophic middle-session collapse on day two saw them lose nine wickets in one session to be bowled out for 164, setting Australia just 205 to win. Head’s assault, which included 16 fours and four sixes, ensured the chase was completed in just 28.2 overs.
Updated WTC Standings After Perth Test
Position | Team | Matches | Wins | Defeats | Draws | Points | Penalty | PCT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Australia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 100.00 |
2 | South Africa | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 76 | 0 | 71.43 |
3 | Sri Lanka | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 50.00 |
4 | India | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 50.00 |
5 | Pakistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 50.00 |
6 | England | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 2 | 36.11 |
7 | Bangladesh | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 16.67 |
8 | New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
9 | West Indies | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
South Africa and India in the Mix
South Africa’s recent victory over India in Kolkata has propelled them to second place with 76 points from seven matches. The Proteas need only a draw in the second Test in Guwahati to secure their first series win in India since 2000, which would further strengthen their WTC final credentials.
India, meanwhile, have dropped to fourth after their shock 30-run defeat on a rank turner at Eden Gardens. With four wins and four defeats from eight matches, Gautam Gambhir’s side sit on 50.00 PCT—level with Sri Lanka and Pakistan but lower due to having played more matches.
The defending WTC champions still have the second Test against South Africa and subsequent series against New Zealand and Afghanistan to salvage their campaign, but their margin for error has disappeared.
What’s Next for Australia and England
The second Ashes Test begins December 4 in Brisbane—a day-night affair that has historically favored Australia. With momentum firmly in their corner and a 1-0 series lead, the hosts will look to extend their WTC dominance.
England, conversely, face a daunting task. Not only must they recover psychologically from the Perth mauling, but they need to find answers to Australia’s pace attack and arrest their WTC slide. Four more defeats would all but end their hopes of reaching the final.
As things stand, Australia appear destined for a second consecutive WTC final appearance, while England’s path grows increasingly narrow with each passing Test.