England’s hard-fought 22-run win over India in the third Test at Lord’s came with a cost. The team has been docked two World Test Championship points for maintaining a slow over rate during the match.
England’s tally drops to 22 points after the deduction, with their percentage points falling to 61.11%. That slide pushes them from second to third in the WTC table, now behind Australia and Sri Lanka.
Penalty for Time Shortfall
According to Article 16.11.2 of the WTC playing conditions, one point is deducted for every over a team falls short after time allowances.
England were also fined 10% of their match fees. Captain Ben Stokes accepted the penalty without contest, avoiding the need for a formal hearing.
The ruling came after match officials reviewed England’s bowling rate during the intense five-day game.
A High-Stakes Match at Lord’s
The third Test was packed with drama from the outset, with both teams posting identical first-innings totals of 387.
Jofra Archer delivered one of the fastest spells seen in recent Tests. Joe Root scored a century. So did KL Rahul. Jasprit Bumrah picked up five wickets.
It all came down to the final day. India were chasing 193 and showed fight through lower-order stands, including efforts from Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.
But England, with a narrow cushion, pushed through. Bashir, bowling through injury, dismissed Siraj and secured the win.
The win put England ahead 2-1 in the series.
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Squad Change Ahead of Fourth Test
Despite his heroic effort, Shoaib Bashir has been ruled out of the remainder of the series due to injury.
Liam Dawson has been named as his replacement for the fourth Test, which starts July 23 at Old Trafford.
England now face a new challenge: maintaining their momentum while keeping their over rates in check. The WTC race continues, and every point matters.
