Wisden Trophy propels England to third spot on World Test Championship standings

As a result of their 2-1 victory over West Indies to clinch the Wisden Trophy on Tuesday, England have now jumped to the third spot in the ICC World Test Championship standings. England stand behind table-topped India and Australia, who have 360 and 296 points respectively. The Joe Root-led side had begun the series against Windies with 146 points in their bag and now have 226 in total. 

Next up, England host Pakistan for a three-match Test series beginning August 5 and will look forward to trump Australia in a bid to secure the second spot. Meanwhile, West Indies remain stagnant at the seventh spot in the table with 40 points to their name. Each series of the Championship is worth 120 points, distributed evenly over the number of matches in the series.

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Broad steers England to victory

From being dropped in the first match of the series to being named the 'Player of the Series,' Stuart Broad has been instrumental for England in lifting the Wisden Trophy. The English speedster achieved a spectacular feat of the fifth day of the final test as he picked up his 500th Test wicket. Broad became the seventh cricketer to achieve the feat and the fourth speedster to do so. The speedster first played a swashbuckling inning with the bat in the first innings and then went on to pick 6 wickets to bundle out the Windies cheaply for 197. 

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After being one down in the first series post the COVID-forced break, England came back stronger to win two matches on the trot and lift the Wisden Trophy. The decider at Old Trafford witnessed the loss of a day due to rain even as Windies' chances of winning the series looked bleak. England put up a mammoth total of 399 for the hosts to chase, but the pacers led by Broad never let Windies get ahead. Root and his men clinched a comfortable victory with 269 runs in the final test. 

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"The last two weeks have been excellent. Have set out the gameplan and executed it. This game with the ball we were outstanding. You look at the talent among those guys, you feel they can exploit the surfaces around the world. For him (Broad) to come back and make the impact in these two games is testament to how good a player he has been. Runs in the first innings, 500 wickets, it's a phenomenal achievement. The sort of player he is, he wants to be a part of the big occasion. More than anything he grabs the big moments in series," English skipper Joe Root said. 

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