ICC World Test Championship 2023-25: Around 150 days Test cricket to be played in less than 180 days in ongoing WTC cycle.
India’s successful 2024 World T20 campaign had informally ended the season for the shortest format of the game. The next six months will be dominated by Test cricket. Until January 2025, the nine Test-playing nations will compete in 30 matches, all vying for the two final spots in the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship. Each team will play at least five matches each in the remaining duration of the WTC cycle. India are playing the most Tests (10) in this phase, followed by Pakistan and England with 9 Tests each.
Here’s a look at how the WTC 2023-25 pans out in the last few months ending January 2025. (The data starts from the second Test between West Indies and South Africa on August 15)
Team | Matches | Matches | Matches | Matches | Total | PCT |
India | 2 Tests vs BAN | 3 Tests vs NZ | 5 Tests vs AUS | 10 | 68.51 | |
Australia | 5 Tests vs IND | 5 | 62.50 | |||
New Zealand | 3 Tests vs IND | 3 Tests vs ENG | 6 | 50.00 | ||
Sri Lanka | 3 Tests vs ENG | 2 Tests vs SA | 5 | 50.00 | ||
Pakistan | 2 Tests vs BAN | 3 Tests vs ENG | 2 Tests vs SA | 2 vs WI | 9 | 36.66 |
England | 3 Tests vs SL | 3 Tests vs PAK | 3 Tests vs NZ | 9 | 36.54 | |
South Africa | 1 Test vs WI | 2 Tests vs SL | 2 Tests vs PAK | 5 | 25.00 | |
Bangladesh | 2 Tests vs PAK | 2 Tests vs IND | 2 Tests vs WI | 6 | 25.00 | |
West Indies | 1 Test vs SA | 2 Tests vs BAN | 2 Tests vs PAK | 5 | 19.04 |
The Test season is finally back, with 150 days of Test cricket possible in less than 180 days left in the WTC cycle. The shorter formats will take a backseat as rivalries will be renewed in the truest format of the game.
Read More: India lead WTC 25 Table with 68.51 PCT; Are they gearing up for a third straight Championship Final?
Marquee clashes
India and Australia, favourites to book the place in the 2023-25 WTC final, will play five Tests against each other down under. India will look to win their third-straight away series against the Aussies. Australia, the defending WTC champions, would look to reverse their home trend against India under the captaincy of Pat Cummins. The five-match series would be a curtain-raiser between the possible finalists. The winner of this series will earn some brownie points ahead of the title round between these two possible finalists.
England’s Bazball
Team India nullified England’s successful Bazball cricket in the sub-continental conditions. However, one must trust England to continue with it across all conditions and attacks. They've brought excitement to cricket with their T20-inspired approach to Test matches, which has had mixed results but has been successful on seam-friendly pitches.
It would be interesting to see whether England continue their bazball approach on the slow pitches of Pakistan just like they attempted to do in India earlier this year. They also face New Zealand and Sri Lanka at home, where they are expected to steamroll the opponents. However, New Zealand could stall Bazball and give England a run for their money.
Read More: Pakistan play 7 home Tests in 2024-25; Do the no. 5 ranked team in WTC 25 stake a claim for Final?
Pakistan: the surprise package
Pakistan are playing 7 Tests at home, the most by any team in the remaining duration of the WTC cycle. The unpredictable Pakistan could move up the table if they win all their Tests at home and put up a fight against South Africa away. They could even threaten favourites Australia for a place in the final if the Aussies succumb to India just like they did in their last two home series against the Men in Blue. Hence, Pakistan are the team to look forward to in this WTC cycle.
Do not count any team out
Although some teams are lying at the bottom of the table, it would be foolhardy to count them out in the race to the final. If either of the top two teams currently—India and Australia—have a poor Test season in the remaining six months, the lower-ranked teams could punch above their waist and open up a spot for themselves. Therefore, the WTC is exciting to look forward to. Overall, it makes for an exciting Test season in the next six months.
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