Explained: Qualification scenarios of all 9 teams for ICC WTC 2023-25 final

The ICC WTC 2023-25 final is scheduled to be played at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in June 2025.

The race to finish in the top two positions of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 standings is heating up. There could be some crucial changes in the standings in the coming months as there are several high-profile test series lined up.

The two teams that played the final of the WTC 2021-23, India and Australia, are currently in the top two positions. If we go by their current form, then India and Australia could meet in the ICC WTC 2023-25 final as well.

But there are 3-4 teams who are active in this race and have a decent chance of reaching next year’s finale. India reached the last edition’s final with 58.8 percentage scores. So we will consider 60 percent as a benchmark to reach the ICC WTC 2023-25 final while talking about the qualification scenarios of all nine teams.

ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 points table:

Qualification scenarios of all nine teams for ICC WTC 2023-25 final:

1. India

Team India are currently at the top of the WTC standings and have a great chance to play their third consecutive final. They have ten more games left to play in this cycle. India will play five tests combined against Bangladesh and New Zealand at home.

Then, they will travel to Australia for a five-match test series. At home, India have a great record, and if we go by the record, they are likely to win all five home tests.

Currently, India have the best percentage of 68.52 and need at least five wins and one draw in the remaining ten games to end with more than 60 percent points.

2. Australia

The defending WTC champions Australia are also in a solid position with a percentage of 62.50. They have seven tests more to play – a five-match home series against India and two tests in Sri Lanka.

Australia need 47 points – which means four wins, or three wins and three draws – from their remaining seven games to finish with more than 60% points in order to reach the ICC WTC 2023-25 final. Hence, the coming five-match series against India could be a make or break for them.

3. New Zealand

The winner of the inaugural WTC had a forgettable second WTC edition. But they have a decent chance this time around. After playing six games, New Zealand have 50 percent points. They have eight more games to play.

They will play two against Sri Lanka (away), three against India (away), and three against England (home). New Zealand need five wins and a couple of draws (or six wins) to finish with 60 PCT.

4. Bangladesh

The historic series win over Pakistan has given a push to Bangladesh in the ongoing WTC edition. They are in the fourth place with 33 points and 45.8 PCT after six matches. Bangladesh have six more games to play in this cycle.

They have two away tests each against India and West Indies and two tests at home against South Africa. As per their current situation, they need five wins or one draw to stay above 60 PCT, which looks a difficult as their first challenge will be in India.

5. Sri Lanka

Despite losing the series in England, Sri Lanka are still in contention to play the ICC WTC 2023-25 final. That is because of their win in the third test at the Oval. After seven games, they have 36 points and 42.9 PCT.

They will play six more games – two each against New Zealand and Australia at home, and two in South Africa. They need five wins to take their PCT to 61.54, which could see them reach the final. They will have four tests at home, which is a big boost to their chances.

6. England

Sri Lanka broke the five-match winning streak of England at the Oval. That defeat has hurt England a lot, as they can’t finish above 60 PCT. They have six away matches left, three in Pakistan and three in New Zealand.

If they win all six games, they will finish with a 57.95 percentage. Then, they need to depend on other results. They need India to lose the five-match test series against Australia and stay below 57.95 percent. In that case, Australia will go at the top, and England will edge past India to finish second.

7. South Africa

South Africa are seventh on the table with 28 points and a 38.9 percentage. They have six test remaining in this cycle – three two-match test series against Sri Lanka (home), Pakistan (home) and Bangladesh (away).

If they can win all six remaining matches, they will jump to 69.44 percent, which will most certainly book a place in the ICC WTC 2023-25 final.

8. Pakistan

The humiliating series loss against Bangladesh, in which they also dropped six points due to slow over-rates, has made Pakistan’s dream of reaching the ICC WTC 2023-25 final extremely difficult. They were dropped to 8th place on the table.

With 19.1 percent, Pakistan have seven tests remaining in this cycle. They will host England and West Indies for three and two tests, respectively, and play a two-match series in South Africa. If they win all seven remaining games, which looks unlikely, they will have 59.52 PCT. Then, they will need other results to go their way.

9. West Indies

West Indies have played nine matches in the ongoing cycle so far and are at the bottom of the standings with 20 points and 18.5 PCT. They have two tests in Bangladesh and a two-match home series against Pakistan left.

They can’t reach the ICC WTC 2023-25 final because if they even win all four games, they can only finish with 43.59 PCT.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.