World Test Championship is a biennial tournament organised by the International Cricket Council to determine the world’s best test team. Spanning two-year cycles and culminating in a final match between the top two teams, the tournament seeks to add context and excitement to the longest form of the game.
The first World Test Championship cycle ended with New Zealand winning the trophy after defeating India in the final of the 2021 Ashes series. The second WTC cycle began on August 4, 2021 with the England-India series and concluded with Australia winning the title in June 2023.
As part of the World Test Championship, each team will play six series of four or five matches against other teams to earn points and win the competition’s prestigious Test Mace. Each team will also play a one-off match against an ICC Associate nation to earn bonus points and further increase their chances of earning the Test Mace.
A win is worth twelve points, a draw is worth four, and a loss is worth two. In addition, a team is awarded points based on their performance against other teams in the competition and their average score over those matches.
Aiden Markram was the undisputed star of the show in a riveting WTC final at Lord’s, claiming Player of the Match honours with an impressive 136 not out. His dominant display helped South Africa chase 282 in a match that saw ideal batting conditions exploited by a much less experienced Australian batting unit. The victory put an end to a 28-year ICC trophy drought and set the Proteas up for a great home ODI World Cup in 2027.