The World Test Championship (WTC) has emerged as cricket’s bold attempt to revitalize its oldest format, injecting context and stakes into Test matches that once felt like standalone affairs.
Launched by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2019, the WTC aims to crown a definitive champion of Test cricket every two years, pitting the world’s top nine teams in a grueling, global league.
As of October 2025, with the third cycle (2023–25) nearing its climax and the fourth (2025–27) on the horizon, the WTC has reshaped red-ball cricket—sparking debates, thrilling fans, and exposing the format’s enduring challenges.
This article dives into the WTC’s origins, structure, impact, and what lies ahead as cricket battles to keep Tests relevant in a T20-dominated era.
Origins: Why the WTC Was Born
Test cricket, born in 1877, is the game’s purest form—five days of strategy, stamina, and skill. But by the 2010s, its allure was fading.
Uneven bilateral series, packed calendars, and the rise of lucrative T20 leagues left Test cricket struggling for relevance.
Fans craved context beyond historic rivalries like the Ashes.
The ICC, under pressure to innovate, introduced the WTC in 2019 as a solution: a structured, points-based competition to determine the world’s best Test team, akin to a football league.
The idea wasn’t new—proposals for a Test championship date back to the 1990s—but logistical hurdles, like scheduling conflicts and differing team strengths, delayed it.
The 2019–21 cycle, launched with the Ashes in England, marked the WTC’s debut, promising a narrative arc culminating in a grand final.
Structure: How the WTC Works
The WTC operates on a two-year cycle, with the top nine Test-playing nations—Australia, India, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh—competing in a league format.
Each cycle comprises bilateral series (home and away), with teams playing a set number of matches (typically 12–22 per team) determined by the ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP).
Key features of the WTC structure:
- Points System: Each series is worth 120 points, distributed across matches. A win earns 12 points, a draw 4, a tie 6, and a loss 0. Points are split evenly in a series, regardless of the number of Tests (e.g., a 2-Test series awards 60 points per win, a 5-Test series 24).
- Percentage of Points (PCT): To account for uneven series lengths, rankings are based on the percentage of points earned from the total contested. For example, a team winning 2 of 3 Tests in a series (36/36 points) has a 100% PCT for that series.
- Final: The top two teams in the points table qualify for a one-off final at a neutral venue (Lord’s hosted 2021 and 2023; Southampton is set for 2025).
- Penalties: Slow over-rates or other breaches cost points, impacting standings (e.g., England and Australia lost points in 2023 for slow play).
The 2023–25 cycle, for instance, saw India play 19 Tests, while Bangladesh played 12, reflecting FTP disparities.
The system rewards consistency across conditions, but critics argue it favors teams with more home games or stronger opponents.
The Journey So Far: Cycles and Champions
2019–21: New Zealand’s Triumph
The inaugural WTC cycle was disrupted by COVID-19, forcing cancellations and a shift to PCT rankings.
New Zealand, led by Kane Williamson, topped the table with a 70% PCT, edging out India (69.2%).
The final at Southampton in June 2021 saw the Black Caps chase 139 in a tense finish to win by 8 wickets, cementing their status as Test cricket’s first official world champions.
Kyle Jamieson’s Player-of-the-Match heroics (7 wickets) underscored their bowling depth.
2021–23: Australia’s Dominance
The second cycle saw Australia, under Pat Cummins, storm to a 68.5% PCT, winning 11 of 19 Tests, including a 4-0 Ashes rout.
India again reached the final but crumbled in London, losing by 209 runs in June 2023.
Australia’s pace trio— Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood—and Travis Head’s 163 sealed their maiden WTC mace.
The cycle highlighted the WTC’s ability to sustain narratives, with India’s consistency clashing against Australia’s firepower.
2023–25: South Africa Dominance
The 3rd Cycle saw the dominance of South Africa under the Leadership of Temba Bavuma, Storm to a 69.5% PCT, winning 8 of 12 Tests.
Australia reached the final for the second consecutive time but Lost to South Africa by 5 Wickets.
Aiden Markram was the player of the match for Picking two wickets, one apiece in innings and Scoring 136 runs in the chase in 2nd Innings.
Impact: A Shot in the Arm for Test Cricket ?
The WTC has undeniably added stakes to Test cricket.
Dead rubbers are rarer; even a fourth Test in a 5-0 series matters for points.
PCT calculations, and players like Joe Root have credited the WTC for making every session count.
The final, a spectacle akin to a World Cup, has delivered drama—think New Zealand’s 2021 chase or Australia’s 2023 demolition.
Statistically, the WTC has boosted competitiveness.
In the 2023–25 cycle, 40% of Tests ended in draws (down from 50% pre-WTC), reflecting teams pushing for results.
Smaller nations like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have upset giants, with Bangladesh’s 2-0 win in Pakistan (2024) a highlight.
Yet, challenges persist:
- Scheduling Imbalance: Teams play unequal matches (e.g., India’s 19 vs. Bangladesh’s 12), skewing PCT fairness.
- Home Dominance: Over 60% of WTC wins since 2019 are home victories, raising questions about adaptability.
- T20 Clash: Players like Ben Stokes have skipped WTC matches for T20 leagues, diluting squads.
- Fan Engagement: While purists love the WTC, casual fans still gravitate to T20s, with Test crowds dwindling outside England and Australia.
The Road Ahead: 2025–27 and Beyond
The 2025–27 cycle, starting in June 2025, promises tweaks.
The ICC is mulling a standardized series length (e.g., minimum three Tests) and a playoff system to include more teams in the final race.
Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Ireland—currently excluded—may join, broadening the WTC’s footprint.
India and Australia, with deep squads and home fortresses, remain favorites, but Sri Lanka’s rise and South Africa’s pace attack signal tighter races.
England, under Brendon McCullum’s “Bazball” revolution, could disrupt with their aggressive approach (45% win rate in 2023–25). Pakistan, despite a patchy cycle, showed grit under Shan Masood, drawing in Australia.
Conclusion: A Work in Progress
The WTC has given Test cricket a pulse, turning bilateral series into chapters of a global saga.
It’s produced iconic moments—Williamson’s stoic leadership, Cummins’ ruthless pace, Jayasuriya’s spin magic—while exposing fault lines in scheduling and engagement.
As the 2023–25 cycle races to its Southampton climax, and with 2025–27 promising reforms, the WTC stands at a crossroads.
Can it evolve into a true global championship, or will T20’s glitz and scheduling woes dim its shine ?
For now, it’s Test cricket’s best bet to stay relevant, one gripping final at a time.
