Test Championship is a new tournament that was launched by the ICC to increase the significance of the long-form game in an era dominated by franchise cricket. The format has been a success, with New Zealand and Australia winning the inaugural finals and whetting appetites for more. However, the structure has a few flaws and the excessive dependency on India’s participation could be problematic for the future of the event.
The World Test Championship is a biennial competition that features nine full member teams. Each team plays four or five Tests, with a points system that awards teams 12 points for each win and six for each draw, plus zero points for losses and penalties for slow bowling. A metric called the ‘points percentage’ system then determines which teams are ranked on the results table, with more affluent nations like England, India and South Africa earning more points than less-developed countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
This month, the ICC’s third World Test Championship final takes place at Lord’s between current champions Australia and South Africa. It is the first time that two teams from different sides have competed for the trophy, which is known as the Test Mace and was previously awarded yearly to the top-ranked test team. A win for South Africa would show that they are a force to be reckoned with in all formats, while Australia’s victory would cement their standing as the best team in international cricket.