New Delhi: The first finalist of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle has been decided, with South Africa securing the top spot after defeating Pakistan in the opening match of their two-match Test series at SuperSport Park in Centurion. This victory propelled South Africa’s points percentage to 66.66%. Even if they lose the second Test in Cape Town, their points percentage will only decrease to 61.11%, which will still be higher than that of at least two of the three teams—Australia, India, and Sri Lanka—vying for a spot in the WTC 2023-25 final. This marks South Africa’s second appearance in an ICC tournament final, their first being the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, where they lost to India by seven runs. The Proteas will now await their opponents for the WTC final at Lord’s in June 2025.
South Africa are headed to Lord’s for the #WTC25 Final #SAvPAK https://t.co/vWLh4MSQjm pic.twitter.com/sZ5QBnDAYD
— ICC (@ICC) December 29, 2024
The Pakistan cricket team has added an exciting twist to the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 qualification race, securing a victory over South Africa in the first Test of their two-match series at SuperSport Park in Centurion by XX runs. This result caused South Africa to drop to second place in the WTC points table with 57.75 percentage points, while Australia reclaimed the top spot with 58.89 percentage points.
India, sitting in third place with 55.88 percentage points, has gained a significant boost in their pursuit of qualifying for a third consecutive WTC final.
ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 points table:
|
Pos
|
Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn | NR | Points | PCT (%) |
| 1 | South Africa (Q) | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 88 | 66.67 |
| 2 | Australia | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 106 | 58.89 |
| 3 | India | 17 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 114 | 55.88 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 48.21 |
| 5 | Sri Lanka | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 45.45 |
| 6 | England | 22 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 114 | 43.18 |
| 7 | Bangladesh | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 31.25 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 30.30 |
| 9 | West Indies | 11 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 24.24 |
Qualification scenarios for India, Australia and Sri Lanka:
India’s qualification scenario:
After South Africa secured a spot in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 final, the qualification scenario for India has shifted slightly. India can still qualify directly by winning both of their remaining Tests against Australia in Perth and Sydney. However, if they win one and draw the other, they will require Sri Lanka to draw at least one of their two Tests against Australia to advance.
In the event that both India-Australia matches end in a draw, India will need Sri Lanka to win their series against Australia 1-0. Lastly, if India loses its series to Australia, it will be eliminated from the WTC final qualification race.
Australia’s qualification scenario:
If Australia wins the ongoing five-match series against India by 2-1 or 3-1, they will secure their spot in the WTC 2023-25 final. If the series ends in a 2-2 or 1-1 draw, Australia will need to win at least one match against Sri Lanka to qualify for the final.
Sri Lanka’s qualification scenario:
For Sri Lanka to secure qualification, the India vs Australia series must end in a 1-1 draw, followed by a 2-0 victory over Australia in their upcoming home series.
