A competition to determine the world’s best Test side had long been mooted, with West Indies legend Clive Lloyd first proposing it back in 1996. After years of careful discussions – taking into account issues such as the international calendar, other ICC tournaments and existing commitments to broadcasters and sponsors – and meticulous preparations, it was announced on 29 July 2019 that the inaugural World Test Championship would be held over a two-year cycle, with this summer’s Ashes series acting as the competition’s curtain raiser.
The WTC sees the nine full members of the ICC play six series against each other, home and away. Teams are rewarded points for winning a series, drawn matches and lost matches, with the top two teams at the end of the six-series league table qualifying for the final to decide the winner.
In the 2025 final, Australia and South Africa were pitted against each other. The Proteas were favourites to win and had a number of stars at their disposal, including the ever-reliable batsman Temba Bavuma and the bowler Pat Cummins. In the end, it was the Proteas who crowned themselves champions after winning a thrilling game at The Oval. The Proteas pushed Australia all the way, with Bavuma’s marathon batting performance and a superb innings from Aiden Markram proving the difference.
With the third edition of the WTC final set to kick off this week at Lord’s, it’s worth taking a look at how the two sides have fared in the contest so far. This will also help give context to the importance of Wednesday’s clash, with both sides looking to improve on their impressive performances this cycle.