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England defeated Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs in the first Test at Headingley on Friday. It was a humiliating loss for the visiting side, and they are at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship standings in the 2025-27 campaign.

Pakistan have conceded 5 out of 7 Tests and with a PCT of 19.05, they fell behind the West Indies in the rankings. On the other hand, England are in the seventh spot with a  PCT of 29.76. Australia are still leading the points table after winning seven of their nine red-ball games, followed by the current WTC champions, South Africa and  New Zealand. Bangladesh are fourth while India, who defeated Sri Lanka in the first Test, are fifth with a PCT of 53.33 in the WTC Points Table.

Meanwhile, England were clinical across departments in Joe Root’s first Test as captain after returning to the leadership role for his second stint. Pakistan, who posted 171 in the first innings, were dismissed for 135 in the second essay.

England fast bowler Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue took 8 wickets each in the game, with the former winning the Player of the Match award. Jofra Archer returned to form in the second innings, claiming three scalps to set up England’s victory. England won their seventh consecutive Test at Headingley, their longest streak at any home venue.

“It was a great match for us. My job is to take wickets, but to take a wicket on the first ball and set the tone is a great feeling. The ball was moving both ways, and it was a matter of time before I came into the game,” Robinson said.

England won the contest inside three days, and Root lauded the players for their superb performance after a challenging period.

Root replaced Ben Stokes, who retired from international cricket after the bilateral assignment against New Zealand. The home team lost 1-2 to the Kiwis, which played a part in the changes. Brendon McCullum also parted ways with the Test team, with his former teammate Stephen Fleming coming on board as the new head of the support staff in the longest format.

England and Pakistan will compete in two more Tests, and the host will be aiming to complete a series whitewash in order to improve their rank in the WTC Table. For Pakistan, the chances of playing in the World Test Championship final are already over, and they would hope to see their captain Babar Azam return to the team after missing the Leeds Test due to a hand injury.