Australia completed a commanding Ashes 2025–26 campaign by defeating England by five wickets in the final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The hosts chased down a target of 160 on the fifth day to seal the series 4–1 and underline their dominance at home once again.

England began the final day at 302 for eight and tried to delay the result with a strong lower-order effort. Jacob Bethell stood tall with a brilliant career-best 154, showing great patience and control at the crease. His innings gave England some hope of setting a tricky target.

That resistance ended when Mitchell Starc removed the last two wickets to finish the innings. Starc ended the series with 31 wickets, making him one of the biggest match-winners of the Ashes and helping Australia stay firmly in control throughout the contest.

Australia stay strong in Ashes and World Test Championship race

Australia started the chase positively as openers Jake Weatherald and Travis Head added quick runs at the top. The two brought up a good opening stand before England struck back with two quick wickets to create some pressure on the home team for a while.

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Marnus Labuschagne played the anchor role in settling nerves with a fluent knock in the middle order. Cameron Green and Alex Carey then took over, adding an unbeaten stand to guide Australia safely towards the target without further trouble.

Carey hit the winning runs before the tea break as Australia sealed both the match and the series. The victory also strengthened Australia's lead at the top of the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 standings. They now sit well clear of the chasing pack, while New Zealand and South Africa follow behind. England, meanwhile, slipped further down the table after another tough tour.

Updated WTC points table after AUS vs ENG 5th Test 2026

The West Indies have announced a 15-member squad ahead of their two-Test series against India, which is set to begin on October 2 in Ahmedabad. The tour will be the Caribbean team's first away assignment of the newly established ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.

Chase remains as captain, Pierre earns maiden call-up, Brathwaite dropped

Selectors have chosen to go ahead with continuity under the captaincy of Roston Chase, who will continue to lead the team with left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican named as vice-captain. The largest talking point, however, is the maiden Test call-up for 33-year-old Khary Pierre. The left-arm spinner has been rewarded for his consistent performances at the domestic level, including an impressive West Indies Championship season where he took 41 wickets at an average of just 13.56.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze have been included in the squad, and will both be expected to bring strength to the batting unit that struggled against Australia in the June-July series. Chanderpaul in particular, is seen as a key addition to the top order, given West Indies' continued struggles at the top of the order.

The absence of experienced player Kraigg Brathwaite is notable, being dropped following a dismal home series against Australia where he recorded only 15 runs in four innings. Brathwaite also reached a notable milestone earlier this year, appearing in his 100th Test match, becoming only the 10th player from the West Indies to reach that milestone. His omission also suggests possible transition for the side. Keacy Carty, Johann Layne, and Mikyle Louis, who were all part of the Australia series, also missed out.

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Sammy backs Chanderpaul and Athanaze, Pierre gets maiden call up, Motie rested

Daren Sammy, the head coach, stated the reasoning behind the squad: “The return of Tagenarine Chanderpaul is to help us change our fortunes in the top of the order due to the struggles as of late, Alick Athanaze is being added for his strengths and qualities against spin bowling. Khary is included for the first time as our second spinner, in what we expect to be conditions conducive for turning in India."

Cricket West Indies has also indicated that first-choice spinner Gudakesh Motie has been rested while the management is monitoring his workload leading to a busy white-ball calendar upcoming, such as the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled for early 2026. The two-match Test series will take place in Ahmedabad (October 2-6) and New Delhi (October 10-14). The West Indies squad is scheduled to arrive in India on September 24.

West Indies 15-member squad for the two-match Test series in India

Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope (wk), Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales

Team Management: Daren Sammy (Head Coach), Floyd Reifer (Assistant Coach – Batting), Ravi Rampaul (Assistant Coach - Bowling), Rayon Griffith (Assistant Coach - Fielding).

Bangladesh is set to begin their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 campaign with a two-Test series against Sri Lanka, starting June 17 at the Galle International Stadium. With renewed focus and clear objectives, Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is determined to carry forward the progress made during the last cycle and deliver more consistent results, especially in home conditions where the Tigers have struggled.

The tour marks a fresh start for Bangladesh in the new WTC cycle and will also serve as a historic moment for Sri Lanka, as veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews prepares to play his farewell Test in the opening match. In the previous cycle (2023–25), Bangladesh managed to win four out of 12 Tests, including three away victories. However, they could secure only one win in six home games, a disappointing statistic that Shanto is eager to reverse. Speaking to the media before the team's departure, the skipper outlined his vision for improvement in home conditions.

Captain’s Focus: Building on Progress

"We have to win our home matches. In the last cycle [WTC 2023–2025], we performed really poorly at home. If we had won more matches there, it would have reflected on our overall number of wins. So, our goal is to improve in that area. We have specific plans to improve. Since we did well in away matches last time, that will give us confidence this year. If we can continue to perform in away conditions, it will help us grow in this cycle," Shanto said during a press conference.

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The left-hander also highlighted the importance of gradual progress and realistic ambitions, pointing to the upward trend from the previous cycle. "It's a big dream, and it would be a bit naive to think that far ahead right now. If we can progress step by step, that would be great. If you look back, we won one Test before the last cycle. But in the last cycle, we had won four. That's progress. This time, the goal is to win two or three more matches than before. If we can take these small steps, then why not? Someday, Bangladesh will play in the final. But it's important that we achieve better results than in the last cycle," he added.