World Test Championship (WTC): Format, Finals, India vs New Zealand 2021, Australia 2023
The World Test Championship (WTC) is the ICC's premier Test cricket competition, introduced in 2019 to give context and meaning to individual Test series. Teams earn points from winning Test matches across a two-year cycle, with the top two sides meeting in a final. New Zealand won the inaugural WTC final in June 2021, defeating India by 8 wickets at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. Australia won the second WTC final in June 2023, defeating India by 209 runs at The Oval in London. The WTC has transformed the context of bilateral Test series into a competition with explicit global standings and a World Championship title at stake.
The World Test Championship (WTC) is a competition run by the International Cricket Council (ICC) that provides an overarching context for bilateral Test series. It was proposed to address a long-standing criticism of Test cricket — that individual series existed in isolation, without a global competition connecting them. The WTC was launched in 2019: the first cycle ran from 2019 to 2021 and the second from 2021 to 2023. The format awards points to teams based on wins, draws, and losses in bilateral Test series. The two teams with the most points (calculated as a percentage of maximum available points to account for varying numbers of series played) at the end of each two-year cycle contest the WTC final at a neutral venue.
WTC 2021: New Zealand Beat India at Southampton
The inaugural World Test Championship final was played between India and New Zealand at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton in June 2021. The match was delayed by rain across several days and extended to a reserve day. New Zealand, captained by Kane Williamson, were tactical and precise: their pace attack of Kyle Jamieson (7 wickets in the match at a cost of 48), Tim Southee, and Trent Boult exploited overcast English conditions consistently. India's batting — which had looked dominant in the preceding two years — was restricted in both innings by accurate seam bowling. New Zealand won by 8 wickets. Kane Williamson, who had reached the 2019 World Cup final with New Zealand only to lose on boundary count, finally secured a global ICC title. It was New Zealand's first ICC white-ball or Test World Championship title.
WTC 2023: Australia Beat India at The Oval
The second WTC final was played between Australia and India at The Oval in London in June 2023. Australia, captained by Pat Cummins, won by 209 runs — a dominant performance. Travis Head, who would go on to score 137 in the 2023 ODI World Cup final against India five months later, top-scored in Australia's first innings. The bowling performances of Nathan Lyon (4 wickets) and the pace trio of Cummins, Hazlewood, and Starc were decisive. Australia's win meant they held both the WTC title and the Ashes simultaneously — two of the most prestigious Test cricket honours — from mid-2023. India, despite their strong home record, remained without a WTC title despite reaching both finals in the first two cycles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the World Test Championship and how does it work?
The World Test Championship (WTC) is an ICC competition that gives context to bilateral Test series. Points are awarded for wins and draws across all Test series played during a two-year cycle. After each cycle, the two teams with the highest points percentage contest a final at a neutral venue. The WTC was introduced in 2019. New Zealand won the first WTC final (2021) and Australia won the second (2023).
Who won the 2021 World Test Championship final?
New Zealand won the inaugural World Test Championship final, defeating India by 8 wickets at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton in June 2021. Kyle Jamieson took 7 wickets in the match. Kane Williamson captained New Zealand. It was New Zealand's first ICC World Championship title in any format. India, despite a strong two-year cycle, were unable to win either of the first two WTC finals.