Australia have officially reaffirmed their status as the king of the red-ball format, clinching a dominant 4-1 Ashes series victory over England after a hard-fought five-wicket win in the Sydney Test on January 8, 2026.

Australia’s dominating victory over England in the final Ashes 2025-27 test in Sydney

While England’s young prodigy Jacob Bethell delayed the inevitable with a breathtaking maiden century of 154, the sheer relentless depth of the Australian side eventually broke through to secure the final match of the summer. The victory at the SCG was not just about the historic urn but also served as an emotional farewell to veteran opener Usman Khawaja, who bowed out of international cricket on a winning note. This series triumph marks a significant milestone for stand-in skipper Steve Smith and his veteran attack, who successfully navigated a minor wobble on the final morning to reach their 160-run target post-lunch. With this result, the curtain falls on a grueling yet captivating Ashes campaign that leaves Australia at the pinnacle of the cricketing world and England searching for answers after their sixth defeat of the cycle.

Australia’s iron grip on the WTC 2025-27 summit

The 4-1 series scoreline has significantly padded Australia’s lead at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 standings, as they begin the 2026 calendar year with an imposing points percentage (PCT) of 87.50. Having won seven of their eight matches in this cycle, with their only blemish being the Boxing Day collapse at the MCG, the Aussies have established a formidable cushion between themselves and the chasing pack.

This clinical consistency across two major series (a 3-0 sweep of the West Indies and this 4-1 Ashes victory) makes them the overwhelming favorites to secure a spot in the 2027 Final. For a team that has been a mainstay in WTC finals, this latest surge proves that their aging core still possesses the tactical discipline and hunger to dominate the world’s most elite competition.

England’s descent and the WTC 2025-27 mid-table logjam

In stark contrast, England’s Bazball era is facing a statistical crisis in the WTC standings, as they remain languishing in 7th place with a dismal PCT of 31.66. Despite showing glimpses of brilliance from players like Jacob Bethell and Joe Root, Ben Stokes‘ side has now suffered six losses in just 10 matches, effectively ending their realistic hopes of reaching the championship final.

Meanwhile, the mid-table has become a crowded battleground; New Zealand (77.78) and South Africa (75.00) currently hold the second and third spots, respectively, but have played far fewer games. India finds themselves in a precarious 6th position with a 48.15 PCT after a mixed run of form, meaning the subcontinental giants will likely need a near-perfect record in their upcoming home and away assignments to climb back into contention.

Also WATCH: Ashes 2025-26: Australia veteran Usman Khawaja gets a Guard of Honour in his farewell game as emotions run high on Day 5 of Sydney Test

WTC 2025-27 standings: India and the chasing pack

The final day at the SCG has crystalized a stratified leaderboard where India currently sits in 6th place with 52 points from nine matches, struggling to find momentum under the leadership of Shubman Gill. Ahead of them, the top five is rounded out by Sri Lanka (66.67) in fourth and Pakistan (50.00) in fifth, both of whom remain in a waiting game as their schedules ramp up later in the year.

At the bottom of the table, Bangladesh occupies the 8th spot with a PCT of 16.67, while the West Indies are rooted to the base in 9th with a mere 4.17 PCT after a winless run of eight matches. This updated hierarchy highlights a massive gulf between Australia and the rest of the world, leaving a desperate scrap for the second qualification spot among five nations separated by fewer than 30 percentage points.

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NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Centre of holding political vendetta, alleging that central agencies were being misused ahead of elections, after the Enforcement Directorate carried out searches at various locations, including the residence of IPAC chief Pratik Jain.Reacting sharply to the action, Banerjee questioned the role of the ED and Union home minister Amit Shah. She claimed that party documents and data were being seized under the pretext of investigations. She also alleged that voter names were being deleted in West Bengal during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision exercise, linking the moves to the election process.

“..Is it the duty of the ED, Amit Shah to collect the party’s hard disk, candidate list?… The nasty, naughty Home Minister who cannot protect the country and is taking away all my party documents. What will be the result if I raid the BJP party office? ” she questioned.“On one side, they are deleting the names of all the voters by carrying out the SIR in West Bengal…Because of the elections, they are collecting all the information about my party…” she added.The BJP hit back at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of interfering in a central agency probe. Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, termed Banerjee’s visit to the residence of I-PAC chief Pratik Jain during an ED raid as “unconstitutional” and “direct interference” in the investigation.Adhikari said the Enforcement Directorate should take action against the chief minister, alleging that her presence, along with that of the Kolkata police commissioner, was unethical and improper while the search was underway at Jain’s Loudon Street residence.He also pointed out that I-PAC manages the IT cell of the Trinamool Congress and drew parallels with a previous incident, claiming that Banerjee had similarly visited the then Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar’s official residence during a CBI raid.This comes after the Enforcement Directorate conducted raid at houses of IT chiefs of various political parties including TMC’s IPAC chief Prateek Jain. The raids were carried out at 15 location in connection with a fake government job scam allegedly run by an organised gang that duped people by promising jobs, officials said.

After spending more than a month in theatres, ‘Dhurandhar’ has added yet another feather to its cap by registering the biggest fifth weekend ever for a Hindi film. The Aditya Dhar directorial has also managed to remain consistent all through and remain unaffected by other big releases like ‘Avatar Fire And Ash’ and films like ‘Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri’, ‘Ikkis’ which released in weeks after. The Ranveer Singh starrer pulled in an impressive Rs. 33.25 crore net over the weekend, pushing its total Hindi net collection beyond Rs. 781 crore in just 33 days. With this momentum, the film is now closing in on ‘Pushpa 2’s long-standing Hindi net record of Rs. 812 crore and is expected to surpass the mark during its sixth weekend, cementing its place at the very top.‘Dhurandhar’ has also carved out a rare distinction in box office history. Unlike other members of the Rs 1000-crore club, which depended on pan-India, multi-language releases to inflate their numbers, this espionage drama has achieved its staggering figures purely through its Hindi version. That achievement sets it apart as a one-of-a-kind solo-language blockbuster.

While several big-ticket films have enjoyed explosive openings only to witness sharp drops after the initial weeks, ‘Dhurandhar’ has defied that pattern entirely. The Bollywood spy action thriller has displayed unprecedented consistency, continuing to earn strongly even in its fifth week. With its iron grip on ticket counters, the film has already sealed its status as an all-time blockbuster and is poised to chase a few more milestones before wrapping up its theatrical run.After making a good Rs. 12.75 crore on fifth Sunday, the film saw a huge drop on Monday, January 5 when the holiday period ended and made Rs. 4.75 crore. On fifth Tuesday, day 32, it made a similar number. On Wednesday, day 34, it saw a drop further, collecting Rs. 4.25 crore. On day 35, which is 5th Thursday, till afternoon, the film has collected Rs. 0.37 crore. The total collection of ‘Dhurandhar’ is now Rs. 786.37 crore. DISCLAIMER: The box office numbers in this article are compiled from our proprietary sources and diverse public data. While we strive for accuracy, all figures are approximate unless explicitly mentioned, offering a fair representation of the project’s box office performance. We are open to feedback and suggestions on toientertainment@timesinternet.in.

Jason Smith of MI Cape Town drives a delivery down the ground during match 15 of the SA20 season 4 between MI Cape Town (MICT) and The Joburg Super Kings (JSK) held at the Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa on the 6th January 2026. (Photo Credit: Shaun Roy / Sportzpics for SA20)

Newlands, cloaked in an eerie mist and framed by shimmering floodlights, felt like a scene straight out of an Alfred Hitchcock thriller.MI Cape Town’s title defence was in similar suspense. Winless after five matches, their SA20 Season 4 campaign was hanging by a thread. The equation was stark: 39 runs needed off 19 balls. One misstep and it was all over.

Out of the shadows walked Jason Smith, taking centre stage. Tall, muscular, inked forearms visible under the lights, he looked every bit the part. But could he shoulder the pressure of an entire season resting on seven deliveries?Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Yeah, obviously there was a bit of pressure coming into this game. We knew it was a must-win for us,” Smith admitted later.His answer came instantly. Smith dispatched his very first ball, a low full toss, deep into the Newlands night sky.“To be fair, I actually wasn’t expecting that for the first ball,” he said. “Not often you get a full toss and I feel like sometimes a full toss is actually the hardest ball to get away.

“But I’ll definitely take that to get me going and I think it helped me.”Richard Gleeson had been Joburg Super Kings’ hero just nights earlier at the Wanderers, nailing yorkers in a dramatic Super Over. On Tuesday evening, though, Smith had the Englishman firmly in his sights.He had already watched MI Cape Town teammate Nicholas Pooran dismantle Gleeson earlier, the Trinbago superstar launching three colossal sixes in a single over, one of them crashing into the top tier of the Members’ Stand.

Jason Smith of MI Cape Town arrives at the stadium during match 15 of the Betway SA20 season 4 between MI Cape Town (MICT) and The Joburg Super Kings (JSK) held at the Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa on the 6th January 2026 (Photo Credit: Shaun Roy / Sportzpics for SA20)

“I think Nicky P from the second ball set the tone and it was just unreal to see him striking the ball so cleanly,” Smith said.Buoyed by that confidence, Smith shifted gears. Spotting the slower ball early, he stood tall and launched it onto the Oaks grass banks. Despite steady drizzle, the Newlands faithful sensed something special.The very next ball confirmed it. Smith creamed Gleeson over wide long-on, the ball soaring into the second tier of the Presidents Pavilion. The roar echoed all the way down Campground Road.“Yeah, I think it’s really important that they actually stayed,” Smith said. “We were quite surprised when we pulled up to the stadium and people were still coming despite the rain.

I’m the type of person who’s just trying to enjoy my cricket at the moment. Noise will be noise and it’s what anyone makes of it

Jason Smith | MI Cape Town

“We always appreciate and are grateful for the support. The Newlands faithful are always kind to us and we’re glad we could entertain them tonight.”Smith’s blitz ended the next ball, caught on the boundary while attempting another mighty heave. But his 22 off just seven balls had done the damage.Karim Janat and Corbin Bosch completed the chase with four balls to spare, keeping MI Cape Town’s campaign alive. More than that, Smith’s cameo offered a glimpse of exactly why Proteas coach Shukri Conrad backed the former Wynberg Boys’ High School prodigy with a spot at next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Jason Smith of MICT during match 15 of the Betway SA20 season 4 between MI Cape Town (MICT) and The Joburg Super Kings (JSK) held at the Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa on the 6th January 2026. (Photo Credit: Carl Fourie for SA20)

“I think I was under a bit of pressure and that’s only natural,” Smith said. “I’m the type of person who’s just trying to enjoy my cricket at the moment. Noise will be noise and it’s what anyone makes of it.“I feel like I’ve been hitting the ball quite sweetly. Long may it continue. I don’t think I’m going to change anything. If it works, it works.”Smith also received a ringing endorsement from Nicholas Pooran.

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“For him, the most important thing is to learn as fast as possible,” the West Indies T20 great said.“He’s just been selected for the World Cup and he’s heading into India, where conditions are really favourable for him with a lot of spin.“He has everything to do well in those conditions. There’s a lot of talent there and we’re really happy to see him smashing it for us. Our job is to give him the freedom to express himself without pressure.”