World Test Championship Final: Qualification Scenarios Unfold

Australia, the winners of the World Test Championship in 2023, are once again aiming for a spot in the final. The competition to reach the World Test Championship final is intensifying. With only eight Tests remaining in the 2023-2025 cycle, three teams still possess a realistic opportunity to qualify for Lord’s and contend for the title of world Test champions. The reigning champions, Australia, remain firmly in contention, alongside India, who were the losing finalists in the first two editions of the tournament, and South Africa. Recent defeats for Sri Lanka against South Africa and for New Zealand against England have largely extinguished their hopes. BBC Sport outlines what each team needs to achieve to secure a top-two position and advance to the final. Each World Test Championship cycle spans two years. The current cycle commenced in June 2023 and will culminate with the final in June 2025. During this period, teams participate in six series – three hosted at home and three played away – with 12 points awarded for a match victory, six for a tie, and four for a draw. However, because teams play a varying number of Tests across their six series, the league table is ranked by the percentage of points won. Therefore, a win (12 points) accounts for 100%, a tie (six points) for 50%, and a draw (four points) for 33.3% of the possible points. Furthermore, teams can incur point deductions for a slow over-rate. Upcoming fixtures include: November 2024-January 2025: Australia v India (five-match series) December 2024-January 2025: South Africa v Pakistan (two-match series) January 2025: Pakistan v West Indies (two-match series) January-February 2025: Sri Lanka v Australia (two-match series) South Africa (best possible finish: 69.44%) A 2-0 series triumph over Sri Lanka propelled South Africa to the top of the table. Their path is clear: they need to win just one of their remaining Tests against Pakistan to guarantee a place in the final. Australia (best possible finish: 67.54%) Australia’s points percentage saw a slight dip following the draw in the third Test against India in Brisbane, but they still hold second place. The series is currently level at 1-1, and a 3-1 series victory would assure them a spot in the final. A 2-2 draw would necessitate them winning one Test in Sri Lanka in the new year. India (best possible finish: 60.53%) India remains in third place, with the Brisbane draw not significantly altering their qualification requirements. They still need a 3-1 series win against Australia to secure a place in the final. A 2-2 draw would mean they rely on Sri Lanka winning their series against Australia. Sri Lanka (best possible finish: 53.85%) Sri Lanka’s chances are now nearly extinguished. They must defeat Australia 2-0 and hope that numerous other results also go in their favour. The contest has effectively become a three-team race for two available spots. New Zealand, England, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and West Indies are no longer in contention to reach the final. It is important to note, however, that the situation could still change if teams are penalised points for a slow over-rate, a sanction that five teams have faced in this cycle, including England and Australia during the 2023 Ashes. The International Cricket Council (ICC) launched the World Test Championship in 2019 to ensure that each format of the game had a premier tournament. The previous champions are: 2019-2021: New Zealand (defeated India) 2021-2023: Australia (defeated India) The 2025 World Test Championship final is scheduled to be held at Lord’s in England. The five-day match is set to commence on 11 June.