The third staging of the World Test Championship final begins at Lord’s on Wednesday with reigning champions Australia taking on South Africa. The home of cricket has played host to both of the previous showstopper finals, held in 2021 and 2023.
Whether or not the result at Lord’s is a high-scoring thriller, the fact that it’s happening is a positive sign for the future of Test cricket. There are fears that the game’s ‘Big Three’ powerhouse nations will dominate in red-ball competitions, but the fact that two teams outside the top five have made it to the final in the space of a year — and with two more besides — is encouraging.
It’s also encouraging that the Proteas and Australians have both prepared well for the final, with the latter using their IPL experience and county cricket in England to fine-tune their approach. A win for either side will prove that their hard work has paid off, and will mark a triumphant return to ICC tournament glory after years of hurt at the one-day and T20 World Cups.
Despite the success of the new tournament, many of its details have been criticised. For example, some have complained that it’s unfair that the richer countries are forced to play five-Test series against each other when they can opt for fewer games against smaller teams. This is a problem that the ICC needs to address, and there are suggestions it could introduce a league stage to the current WTC with the eight best-ranked nations qualifying for a final.
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