After a thrillingly epic encounter that the first Test of the ongoing England vs Pakistan series turned out to be, something similar was expected from the second one too. But, the incessant rain and bad light conspired together to play a spoilsport at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.
In five days of cricket, less than 150 overs of the game was played – the shortest Test match ever played in England since 1987.
On day 5, England captain Joe Root soon understood there’s no point fighting a battle which he can neither win nor lose.
With a scoreboard flashing 110/4, Root declared the innings and both captains agreed for a draw. Zak Crawley was England’s leading scorer, who made 53 before falling prey to Mohammad Abbas.
Earlier in the proceedings, Pakistan were bundled out for 236 in their first innings as Stuart Broad, and James Anderson combined to pick seven wickets. Wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan played a handy knock of 72 and propelled his team to the respectable total.
Rizwan was adjudged as the ‘Man of the Match’ for his terrific performance.
Although the battle ended without a winner, there has been some significant shuffles in the latest World Test Championship ratings released by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
In the updated ICC World Test Championship table, India retains its first position with 360 rating points, followed by Australia (296) and England (279). With 153 points, Pakistan is placed at the fifth spot. Bangladesh is the only nation yet to open their accounts in this tournament.
Statistically, one of the most important bilateral series of the Test championship will be played later this year when India tours Australia for a four-match series.
Here are the updated ICC World Test Championship ratings:
- India – 360
- Australia – 296
- England – 279
- New Zealand – 180
- Pakistan – 153
- Sri Lanka – 280
- West Indies – 40
- South Africa – 24
- Bangladesh – 0
