World Test Championship: Format, Points, Finals and Table

The World Test Championship is the ICC's league for Test cricket: nine teams play series against each other over a two-year cycle, are ranked by the percentage of available points they win, and the top two meet in a one-off final in England. Three finals have been played. New Zealand beat India at Southampton in 2021, Australia beat India at The Oval in 2023, and South Africa beat Australia at Lord's in June 2025. The current cycle runs to the 2027 final at The Oval. This guide covers how the championship works, the points system now in force, the finals, the standings as of October 2026, and the criticisms.

How It Works

The nine Test-playing full members other than Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe each play six series in a cycle, three home and three away, against six of the other eight. Series vary from two to five Tests. Because teams play different numbers of matches, the table ranks them by the percentage of points contested that they have won, not by points. The top two after the last series meet in the final; a drawn or tied final means the title is shared.

The Points System

Since the 2021 to 2023 cycle every Test carries the same points regardless of series length: 12 for a win, 6 for a tie, 4 for a draw, 0 for a loss. A team's percentage is its points divided by the points available in the matches it has played. Slow over rates cost one championship point per over short, under Article 16.11.2 of the playing conditions, which is how England lost 12 points after the Oval Test against New Zealand in June 2026. The earlier system, used only in 2019 to 2021, gave 120 points per series split across its matches, so a Test in a two-match series was worth three times one in a five-match series; it was abandoned after one cycle. Our guide to how WTC points are calculated has worked examples.

The Finals

South Africa's win was their first ICC title in a men's senior event since the 1998 Champions Trophy, and they did it by chasing 282 in the fourth innings against the holders.

The 2025 to 2027 Table

As of 13 October 2026, after Australia beat South Africa by 214 runs at Durban, the standings were: Australia 81.82 per cent from eleven Tests, New Zealand 72.22, South Africa 60.00, Bangladesh 55.56, India 51.52, England 38.54 after a 14-point deduction, Sri Lanka 33.33, West Indies 20.83 and Pakistan 4.63 after 19 points deducted. The cycle has most of a year to run, including the 2026-27 home summers in Australia, South Africa and India and England's 2027 series against Australia, so the table will move.

What It Changed

The championship gave bilateral Test series a consequence beyond the trophy on the day, which is what it was for. Captains now chase results rather than settle for draws in the last session, because a draw is worth a third of a win; over rates are policed with points rather than fines; and a Test between Bangladesh and the West Indies counts for exactly as much as an Ashes Test. The criticisms are the mirror image: an uneven fixture list in which teams do not play everyone, series lengths from two to five Tests, a single final that rewards one week over two years, and the concentration of every final in England.

FAQs: World Test Championship

Who won the World Test Championship in 2025? South Africa, beating Australia by five wickets at Lord's on 14 June 2025.

How are WTC points calculated? 12 for a win, 6 for a tie, 4 for a draw, 0 for a loss, with teams ranked by the percentage of available points won. Slow over rates cost a point per over.

When is the next WTC final? 9 to 13 June 2027 at The Oval.

What happens if the WTC final is drawn? The title is shared.

Why is the WTC final always in England? The ICC has awarded the 2027, 2029 and 2031 finals to England, citing the June window and neutral venues. The 2021, 2023 and 2025 finals were also in England.

Sources

The 2025 final is reported by the ICC, which also sets out the 2025 to 2027 points system and the 2027 final venue. The standings are from Wisden, 13 October 2026.