The 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final will be played at the iconic Lord's cricket ground from June 11 to 15 next year.
'If you end up finding yourself in the position where you happen to be in that World Test Championship final, then it is great, but it is a real weird one knowing that you are playing for something over a long period of time.'
There was much criticism of how South Africa managed to reach the final without playing either Australia and England in the two-year qualifying period.
The Oval in London has been confirmed as the venue for the 2027 ICC World Test Championship Final, scheduled from June 9-13. This marks the second time The Oval will host the final, having previously done so in 2023. Nine teams are currently competing in the ongoing WTC cycle, with Australia leading the standings, followed by South Africa and New Zealand, as the race intensifies with crucial upcoming series.
Former head coach Rahul Dravid believes India have 'fallen behind' in the World Test Championship final qualification race, highlighting the upcoming New Zealand series as a significant challenge for the young team.
Shubman Gill, India's Test captain, expresses comfort with his leadership role and highlights the team's progress. He acknowledges the challenge of qualifying for the World Test Championship final, requiring significant wins in upcoming matches. Gill also discusses the honour of leading India in its 600th Test and shares insights on playing conditions in Sri Lanka.
The ICC launched the WTC last year to lend context to bilateral Test series, giving the format its standalone showpiece like the World Cup in other formats.
In the World Test Championship final in June, New Zealand, in all likelihood, will meet either India or England, who will clash in a four-Test series, starting on Friday.
The points table of the ICC World Test Championship.
Southampton's Utilita Bowl will host a men's Ashes Test for the first time in 2025, as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced the concurrent scheduling of the men's and women's Ashes series against Australia, mirroring the successful 2023 format.
England to host New Zealand for two Tests in June.
The World Test Championship schedule has been thrown haywire by the COVID-19 pandemic and its much-awaited final next year will depend on the number of rescheduled bilateral series after the disruption, ICC GM (Cricket Operations) Geoff Allardice said on Monday.
India captain Shubman Gill has indicated that Prasidh Krishna is likely to share the new ball with Mohammed Siraj in the upcoming first Test against Sri Lanka.
Two-time finalists India are placed fifth and face a challenging path to secure a top-two finish.
From his iconic Melbourne centuries to Lord's heroics, revisit Ajinkya Rahane's five greatest Test knocks that shaped his remarkable India career.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has endorsed the ICC's new rule allowing pink balls in day Tests to mitigate bad light issues, seeing it as a crucial opportunity for teams to secure results, especially with World Test Championship implications.
Aakash Chopra believes India faces a challenging path to the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 final, even if they register a 2-0 series sweep in Sri Lanka.
Gupta highlighted that a packed Lord's during the previous edition's final between Australia and South Africa, despite the absence of India and hosts England, was a landmark moment for the global governing body.
Bangladesh secured a historic nine-wicket victory over Australia in Darwin, marking their first-ever Test win on Australian soil, powered by Tanzid Hasan's century and Mehidy Hasan Miraz's five-wicket haul.
'There's a lot of pressure on him, and there's a lot of pressure on this series as well, because it's crucial for India's chances in the WTC.'
Former Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane believes India's recent Test struggles stem from the departure of senior players, emphasising the need for a core of seven to eight experienced cricketers in the longer format.
Australia's head coach Andrew McDonald discusses how the Indian Premier League (IPL) can be integrated into the national team's demanding international schedule, emphasising the need for workload management, especially for fast bowlers. He highlights the IPL's benefits for player development while acknowledging the challenges of a packed calendar including major Test series and ICC events.
The era of 'randomly' scheduling bilateral series is over, but the ODI format can continue to survive and thrive with its place 'inextricably' linked to the World Cup, said ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta in an interview to PTI.
Pakistan slipped to eighth in the World Test Championship standings following their 10-wicket loss to Bangladesh.
England's aspirations for a maiden World Test Championship final appearance have been significantly impacted after they were docked 12 points due to a slow over-rate during their recent defeat to New Zealand at The Oval. The penalty, alongside a 50% match fee fine, has caused their points percentage to drop, making their path to the final more challenging.
India's two-Test series against hosts Sri Lanka will be played in Galle and Colombo from August 15 to 27.
Ayush Shetty, Unnati Hooda, Simran Singhi, and Kavipriya Selvam are set to make their BWF World Championships debut as India hosts the prestigious badminton event after 17 years, offering a significant platform for these rising stars.
India captain Virat Kohli says the competition in the traditional format has "gone up two-fold" in recent years.
India secured a comprehensive victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test, improving their World Test Championship points percentage. However, despite the win, their path to the WTC final has become significantly more challenging, requiring them to win almost all their remaining matches due to a tightly packed table and other teams' results.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam confirmed that Shan Masood fractured his finger during the first ICC World Test Championship match against the West Indies, contributing to Pakistan's 90-run defeat. The injury forced Masood to bat at No. 8, and Babar highlighted the team's top-order batting failures and lack of partnerships. West Indies' Justin Greaves was named Player of the Match for his five-wicket haul.
With Kuldeep Yadav looking ineffective, India could look towards including off-spinner Saransh Jain in the playing XI in the second Test in Colombo, especially looking at three left-handers in the Sri Lankan top seven.
India are yet to drop a point in the nine-team championship, having won three series in a row.
Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravid is reportedly a contender for the England Test coach position, following Brendon McCullum's removal. Dravid, known for his meticulous approach, is considered an attractive candidate despite his stated preference against full-time coaching. Other prominent names like Andy Flower and Richard Dawson are also in consideration for the role.
Devdutt Padikkal struck his second century of the series, capitalising on Sri Lanka's early dropped chances to make 117 and steer India towards a strong first-innings total.
Kohli has no doubts that World Test Championship has added a context to the traditional format making the contests more exciting with points on offer.
'We are trying to see whether Test championship can generate interest'
India is poised to secure its first overseas Test series victory in three years as they face Sri Lanka in the second and final match, with skipper Shubman Gill and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal under pressure to deliver substantial knocks.
Organisers of the upcoming BWF World Championships have undertaken extensive upgrades at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Delhi, including anti-bird measures, non-toxic gels, and even 'monkey whisperers', to prevent a repeat of the hygiene and disruption issues experienced during the India Open earlier this year.
Bangladesh secured a landmark nine-wicket victory over Australia in Darwin, marking their first-ever Test win in Australia and one of Test cricket's greatest upsets, despite a defiant century from Cameron Green.
Images from Day 6 of the ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand, at The Hampshire Bowl, in Southampton, on Wednesday.
