IND vs ENG: England Penalised WTC Points for Slow Over Rate Despite Win Against India at Lord’s

Despite securing a thrilling 22-run win over India in the third Test at Lord’s, England have been penalised by the International Cricket Council for maintaining a slow over rate during the match. As per the ICC’s official release, England were docked two points in the ICC World Test Championship standings under Article 16.11.2 of the playing conditions, which deducts one point for each over short of the required rate, even after considering time allowances.

This deduction saw England’s points total fall from 24 to 22 out of a possible 36, bringing their point percentage down from 66.67% to 61.11%. As a result, they have slipped from second to third place on the WTC table, allowing Sri Lanka to climb to the second spot. Alongside the points penalty, the England team has also been fined 10 percent of their match fee for the offence under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which applies to minimum over-rate violations. According to this rule, players are fined five percent of their match fee for each over their team fails to bowl in the stipulated time.

England captain Ben Stokes accepted responsibility for the slow over rate and pleaded guilty to the charge, waiving the right to a formal hearing. The sanction was imposed by Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees. The match officials who laid the charges included on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, third umpire Ahsan Raza, and fourth umpire Graham Lloyd.

The third Test itself was an intense battle that went down to the wire. Both teams posted identical scores in the first innings, keeping the match evenly balanced heading into the later stages. England then managed to carve out a 192-run lead in their second innings, putting India under pressure in the final innings. India’s chase began poorly with an early collapse, but an inspired lower-order effort led by Ravindra Jadeja brought the visitors close to an improbable win. In the end, England held on in the final session of Day 5 to clinch a memorable victory and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.