England move three spots up in WTC rankings following win over West Indies

Ben Stokes (Pic: File Pic)

After securing a 241-run win against West Indies in the second Test match in Nottingham, England has moved off the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship rankings.

With this victory, the "Three Lions" have now taken a lead of 2-0 against West Indies in the three-match Test series. On the fourth day of the second test match, spinner Shoaib Bashir registered a five-wicket haul for 41 runs. This was his third five-wicket haul in his career so far. This helped England dismiss the Caribbeans for 143 in pursuit of 385 for victory, as per an ICC press release.

Ollie Pope was named as the "Player of the Match" for his crucial contributions. In the first innings, the star batsman scored 121 runs in 167 deliveries which were laced with 15 fours and 1 six. Facing 67 balls in the second innings, the right-hander accumulated 51 runs including 6 fours.

Also Read: Team India press conference: 2027 World Cup in sight, Gambhir wants Rohit and Kohli to be available for most games

Veteran Joe Root and Harry Brook were the other two centurions. Root smashed 122 runs, whereas Brook scored 109 runs.

It also helps England jump up the World Test Championship standings, with the victory catapulting them past South Africa, Bangladesh and West Indies into sixth place on the current table.

After the final match against West Indies, England will host Sri Lanka for three Tests at home followed by the Pakistan tour in October and New Zealand in November-December, the release added.

The West Indies fall to ninth on the standings with a 22.22 per cent win-loss percentage following the late fadeout against England at Trent Bridge and have seven Tests remaining this period against England (one), South Africa (two), Bangladesh (two) and Pakistan (two).

England have named an unchanged squad for the final match of the series, while the West Indies will be hoping to regain spinner Gudakesh Motie after he missed the second Test due to illness.

(With ANI Inputs)