Melbourne, Dec. 27—England pulled off a Boxing‑Day triumph at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, snatching a four‑wicket win over Australia. The victory gave the English side their first Test win on Australian soil in 19 matches and injected fresh energy into the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025‑27 chase.
Even though Australia had already clinched a 3‑0 Ashes series before the game began, the loss was a significant blow to the Red‑Skins and the end of their unblemished record for the current WTC cycle. The defeat dented Australia’s points‑percentage from a perfect 100 % to 85.71 %, but the hosts remain comfortably at the top of the standings. The drop also narrowed the gap to the second‑ and third‑place teams: New Zealand now sits at 77.78 % and South Africa at 75 %, each moving closer to the summit.
England, meanwhile, earned 12 extra points from the match, bringing their own points‑percentage to 35.18 %. That places the English at seventh in the WTC table, quite a distance from the top five, but the win has given them momentum and belief that they can climb the ladder in the remainder of the cycle.
India remains sixth on the leaderboard with a 48.15 % points‑percentage. To break into the top two, they will need to deliver exceptionally strong performances in their upcoming fixtures, particularly against the fast‑playing Australian and New Zealand sides.
The Ashes series will head to the Sydney Cricket Ground for the final, fifth Test on Jan. 4. Australia will look to regain control of the series and their WTC campaign, while England will try to build on the confidence from Melbourne and strengthen their standing in the championship.
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