The ICC has confirmed that the second World Test Championship final will be held at The Oval in London from June 7 to 11, with June 12 set aside as a reserve day. This will occur between the IPL final, likely to be on May 28, and the Ashes, beginning on June 16 in Birmingham.
This WTC cycle includes three Test matches, with India playing Australia for the four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy, New Zealand hosting Sri Lanka for two Tests, and South Africa facing West Indies for two Tests. The eventual champion is yet to be determined, with only Australia, India, Sri Lanka, and South Africa in the running.
At present, the Australia team is in an excellent spot to be one of the teams competing in the WTC final. If they manage to draw just one Test against India and don’t get any penalty points because of slow over rates, they will secure their place in the final. Anything lower than that, Australia would need to rely on other outcomes.
For Sri Lanka and South Africa to make the final, even if they win both of their Test series, they would still need other results to go their way unless India beats Australia 3-1 or better in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Last September, the International Cricket Council (ICC) declared the Oval and Lord’s as the venues for the next two World Test Championship (WTC) finals – the one this year and the third cycle, which will conclude in 2025.
New Zealand emerged triumphant in the 2021 WTC final against India, winning by eight wickets in Southampton after the match had to be pushed to the reserve day due to rain. The New Zealand pace attack consisting of Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson bowled India out cheaply twice, and Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson completed the chase of 139 to seal the victory.
