Cricket
World Test Championship Final 2025: Everything You Need to Know
The World Test Championship (WTC) was designed to raise the importance of Test cricket, and it is quite prestigious. Taking place once every two years, this pits the best teams in the ICC rankings against each other. This year, the WTC final will start on June 11, and it will be staged at Lord’s in London. Sportsboom.com has given you the full lowdown, including the teams vying for the title, and we have shared some predictions.
Patrick Cummins and Steven Smith hold the ICC World Test Championship mace//Getty Images
Who is Playing in the Final?
Australia and South Africa will face off in the final, and it has the ingredients to be a cricket thriller.
The Aussies, who are notoriously competitive, are currently top of the ICC test rankings. Although there were a couple of hiccups during the 2023-2025 cycle, such as a shock eight-run defeat to the West Indies last year, Australia’s credentials are unquestioned, and they are the reigning WTC champions.
South Africa’s resurgence over the past couple of years has been incredible. They finished third in the 2021-2023 WTC points table, but they leapt to first, reeling off five wins on the trot. The following section will recap how they got there.
Road to the Final
Australia qualified automatically for the WTC final after reclaiming the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In racing to a six-wicket win over India in the New Year Test in Sydney to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australia will be contesting the WTC final for the second time after thrashing India in the 2023 final by 209 runs.
South Africa, meanwhile, played five fewer matches than the Aussies, but the Proteas, who are on a seven-match winning streak, will be through to a maiden final. They topped the WTC rankings with just three defeats from their 12 contests. A nervy two-wicket win over Pakistan at Centurion ensured their passage to the final.
We have produced the final WTC standings, taking into account wins, losses, and total points.
Final WTC Rankings
| Pos | Team | Played | W | L | D | Ded | Points | Points Pct (%) |
| 1 (Q) | South Africa | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 69.44 |
| 2 (Q) | Australia | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 142 | 65.74 |
| 3 | India | 19 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 114 | 50.00 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 81 | 48.21 |
| 5 | England | 22 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 22 | 114 | 43.18 |
| 6 | Sri Lanka | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 41.67 |
| 7 | Bangladesh | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 45 | 31.25 |
| 8 | West Indies | 13 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 28.21 |
| 9 | Pakistan | 14 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 47 | 27.98 |
Notes:
- Q = qualified
- Point systems – 12 points for a win; 6 points for a tie; 4 points for a draw
- Points deducted for slow over rates
Previous WTC Finals Recap
This year will be third showing of the WTC final, so let’s see how the previous finals unfolded with a quick recap.
2021 Final – New Zealand vs India (Hampshire Bowl)
The inaugural WTC final took place at the Hampshire Bowl, Southampton, and it ran to six days due to poor weather. India had resumed the final day on 64-2, a mere 32 runs ahead, but Kyle Jamieson removed Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara before the lead passed 40.
That proved to be crucial as New Zealand were given a target of 139 to chase. Despite losing openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway early on, Kane Williamson (52 not out) and Ross Taylor (47 not out) wrapped up the win swiftly to complete a remarkable eight-wicket victory.
2023 Final - Australia vs India (Oval)
Again, India was the bridesmaid, slumping to a heavy defeat.
India’s task was a tall one as they needed to score 280 across all three sessions on the final day without conceding any wickets. But Australia skittled India out for just 70, and the match was wrapped up in one session.
Travis Head (163) and Steve Smith (121) laid the foundations for the Aussie triumph with stunning displays with the bat in the first innings.
Key Players to Watch
Australia
- Pat Cummins – Captain and pace bowler supremo. With 294 Test wickets and counting to his name, Cummins is the 10th fastest player to reach 150 Test wickets which he achieved in 31 matches.
- Steve Smith – Having recently joined the exclusive 10,000-run club in Test cricket, Smith averages over 56 with the bat. He can climb on top of the short ball, and he will punish anything fractionally wide of off stump.
South Africa
- Temba Bavuma – The skipper and an all-rounder, Bavuma has amassed over 3,500 runs at Test level, and while he will want to improve his bowling figures, he is South Africa’s main talisman.
- David Bedingham – Although he only has 12 Test caps to his name, Bedingham caught the eye against Pakistan. He enjoyed an unbeaten knock of 44 en route to guiding South Africa to a 2-0 series win, and he averages just shy of 34 with the bat.
What to Expect
Lord’s is a dream for Test bowlers, especially in overcast conditions. The seamers should profit with plenty of swing, but as the pitch wears, the batters can make hay.
Bowling at the Pavillion End has benefitted the likes of Glenn McGrath over the years, and he claimed figures of 8-38 against England at Lord’s in June 1997.
The Test squads and starting XIs haven’t been confirmed yet. They will be submitted to the ICC in the coming months, and changes can be made up until a week before the match.
This will be the 102nd Test meeting between Australia and South Africa. Australia have come out on top on 54 occasions, with South Africa prevailing 26 times, and there have been 21 draws. So, we’re giving Australia the edge here.
Conclusion
Australia have been there and got the T-shirt. The reigning champions are currently Test cricket’s best side, and they will want to underline their dominance with a statement win over South Africa.
They are firing at just the right time, and it could be a straightforward win for Cummins and co.
REFERENCES
- 1
Australia win over India:Australia vs New Zealand WTC final 2021 match report - https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jun/11/kohli-exposed-cricket-australia-beat-india-to-win-world-test-championship-final Accessed Feb 3, 2025
- 2
India vs New Zealand scorecard 2021 WTC final: India vs New Zealand WTC 2021 final scorecard - https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/icc-world-test-championship-2019-2021-1195334/india-vs-new-zealand-final-1249875/full-scorecard Accessed Feb 3. 2025
- 3
Australia vs India scorecard 2023 WTC final - https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/icc-world-test-championship-2021-2023-1268315/australia-vs-india-final-1358412/full-scorecard Accessed Feb 3. 2025
- 4
South Africa vs Australia WTC 2025 build-up - https://www.cricket.com.au/news/4198531/ultimate-guide-preview-details-2025-world-test-championship-final-lords-australia-south-africa-date-watch-broadcast-squad-team-news-cummins-bavuma Accessed Feb 3. 2025
- 5
Glenn McGrath Test figures vs England – Glenn McGrath Lord’s bowling figures vs England https://www.lords.org/lords/our-history/honours-boards/g-d-mcgrath/8-38#:~:text=Rain%20cut%20short%20day%20two,an%20Ashes%20Test%20at%20Lord's Accessed Feb 3. 2025
- 6
Australia vs South Africa Test record head-to-head – Australia vs South Africa head-to-head record in Tests https://www.mykhel.com/cricket/australia-vs-south-africa-head-to-head-in-test/ Accessed Feb 3, 2025
Charles Perrin is a highly experienced sports betting content writer with over six years of working with some of the leading sportsbooks in the UK, including bet365 and William Hill.