England may have secured a thrilling 22-run win over India in the third Test at Lord’s, but the victory came with a notable drawback. The International Cricket Council (ICC) docked two crucial points from their World Test Championship (WTC) tally due to a slow over-rate during the match. Additionally, the Ben Stokes-led side was fined 10% of their match fees.

As a result, England’s WTC points total dropped from 24 to 22 out of a possible 36, and their points percentage dipped from 66.67% to 61.11%. The deduction saw them slide from second to third on the WTC standings, allowing Sri Lanka to leapfrog into the second position behind leaders Australia.

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Reacting to the development, former India head coach Ravi Shastri highlighted the impact of over-rate penalties, citing Australia’s experience during the inaugural WTC cycle. Australia were deducted four points for a slow over rate against India in the 2020 Boxing Day Test, which ultimately cost them a place in the final. New Zealand benefited and went on to win the championship.

 

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“It hurts—as Australia found out the hard way in the first cycle of the World Test Championship. That one slip-up at the MCG cost them a final spot. New Zealand qualified instead. So teams must stay aware of these small margins,” Ravi Shastri explained in a video shared by the ICC on Instagram.

However, given that the penalty came early in the ongoing 2025-27 WTC cycle, Shastri believes England have enough time and matches ahead to recover lost ground, starting with the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford on July 23.

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“That said, more than the over-rate, the focus should be on winning games. If you keep racking up victories, the deductions won’t matter. When the final six months approach, you can look to adjust and recover. But keep winning—that’s the key,” he added, emphasizing performance over arithmetic.