Test championship

All the Test cricket attention this winter is justifiably fixated on the upcoming Ashes, but before Australia does battle with England for the urn, there's the small matter of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) World Test Championship final in London. Australia will meet India at The Oval in the second-ever final, the biennial conclusion to find the world's best Test team. And, although situated conveniently as a warm up ahead of the five Ashes series, there is silverware up for grabs in this match, which could elevate its importance. You can follow all the action from The Oval in the ABC Sport live blog from Wednesday, June 7 from 7:00pm AEST, or listen to live commentary from 7:15pm AEST on the ABC Listen App via the dedicated red cricket button. Here's everything you need to know. What is the ICC World Test Championship? New Zealand were the inaugural World Test Championship winners. ( Getty Images: Alex Davidson) The ICC introduced the World Test Championship in 2019 in an attempt to breathe some desperately needed life into the format. Outside of England, Australia and India, Test cricket was — and plenty would say still is — slowly dying, losing relevance amidst changing societal preferences, exacerbated by the rise of T20 franchise cricket. Essentially, the ICC proposed a league-style format over a two-year period where each Test played was worth points. At the end of the two-year period, during which a team must play three home series and three away series, ...

How does the points system work? • Each team plays six series, with each series counting for 120 points, distributed over the number of matches in a series. For example, a two-match series will mean 60 points for each Test while a three-match series will give 40 points to each Test match. A tie will be 50% of the points available, whilst a draw will be a 3:1 points ratio.

The final of the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship will be played at The Oval, London from 7 to 11 June with a reserve day in place (12 June). New Zealand had won the inaugural edition, defeating India by eight wickets in the 2021 final in Southampton. Australia leads the nine-team points table for the ongoing cycle with a healthy points percentage of 75.56, followed by India at 58.93. The two teams are set to face off in a four-match Test series, beginning 9 February in Nagpur, and the eventual result will play a significant part in determining the eventual finalists. “The prospect of playing in the World Test Championship Final has been a big motivator for us over the last couple of years, more so now having missed out on over rates last time,” said Australia captain Pat Cummins. “To play at a neutral venue like The Oval adds another element for both sides who make the Final. It’s exciting and has been a goal of ours for a while now. We are confident we can secure a place while here in India after a really strong 12 months. The Final would be a great reward for the players and staff who have done so well.” India skipper Rohit Sharma, who was an integral part of the Indian team in their runners-up finish in the inaugural cycle under Virat Kohli, said: “Leading Team India out onto the field of play at the World Test Championship Final would be special. We have grown and developed as a team during this competition and to be in with a chance of lifting the Ma...