The World Test Championship is an ICC competition designed to add context and drama to the longest format of the game. The tournament consists of home and away series across two-year cycles. Participating teams are ranked by a points percentage system, with each match within a series contributing points towards the final league table, and the top two teams progressing to the world Test championship final – the apex of the sport’s long form.
The inaugural WTC cycle began in 2021, with that summer’s Ashes acting as the tournament’s curtain raiser, and ended in June 2023, with Australia triumphing over India in a gripping final at Lord’s. The current cycle is due to come to an end in June 2025, with defending champions South Africa preparing for a showdown with Australia at the ‘home of cricket’.
Both sides have prepared well for the final, with the Proteas having accrued points in a range of ways, including playing county cricket in England and participating in T20 tournaments, while Australia’s players have spent time in the IPL and have been rewarded for their efforts by earning several Test caps this season. The match, which will be played in June, also boasts record prize money.
Despite the fact that test cricket does not need a World Test Championship final – the apex of its most glorious moments can be found in Sydney, Melbourne and even Centurion – Wisden’s Lawrence Booth recently wrote that the ICC “cannot allow the championship to continue as if it was designed on the back of a fag packet.” His criticism is based around the idea that a more equitable way of reaching the final would involve extending the cycle to three or four years and introducing a best-of-three series for the final.