India overtook Australia after their thumping 295-run win in the first Test in Perth.
Ravichandran Ashwin became the first bowler to pick 50 or wickets in each of three World Test Championship cycles.
Former No. 1-ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne will be pushed up in the order to open alongside Usman Khawaja.
Australia's opening partnership has been the subject of much debate since David Warner retired and remains unresolved less than a month before the World Test Championship final against South Africa.
From Royal Challengers Bengaluru's historic first IPL title to star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finally breaking the iconic 90-meter mark to India women winning their first cricket World Cup, this was the year of long-awaited victories and record-breaking feats.
Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri firmly believes Australia should select experienced pacer Josh Hazlewood ahead of Scott Boland for the WTC Final against South Africa in June.
Pandya has played 11 Test matches for India, scoring 532 runs at an average of 31.29 with a century and four fifties, along with 17 wickets at an average of 31.05 under his belt.
The Indian men ruled white-ball cricket, while South Africa ended decades of hurt by winning the World Test Championship at Lord's. Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally lifted their maiden IPL title, though the celebrations were dimmed by a deadly stampede. Above all, it was India's women who won a billion hearts by finally adding an ICC World Cup trophy to the cabinet.
If Pakistan can either draw or win both Tests in South Africa, it will significantly boost India's chances, even if they manage a 2-2 draw in their current Test series against Australia.
Former No. 1-ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja would open the innings for Australia in the WTC final against South Africa while the fit-again Cameron Green would bat at the No. 3 position.
The Proteas, under skipper Temba Bavuma, ended a 27-year-long drought for an ICC trophy by defeating Australia in the WTC final at Lord's recently with Rabada taking nine wickets in the match.
This is India's second whitewash at home under head coach Gautam Gambhir.
The ICC is considering awarding bonus points for innings victories or for a win above a certain big margin such as 100 runs.
South Africa clinched their berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final with a thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan in Centurion.
India are 1-0 up in the two-match series, having beaten WI by an innings and 140 runs in the first Test at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.
Ganguly lauded Gill's leadership during India's tour of England, noting the challenge of captaining at a young age in such conditions
Australia took the upper hand in the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's, ending day two on 144-8 in their second innings with a lead of 218 runs after wickets tumbled freely again on Thursday.
The Rohit Sharma-led team has two Tests left in Australia, and their fate is still in their hands.
Markram hopes a run of sporting trophy droughts broken in 2025 rings true at the World Test Championship 2025 Final, with the Proteas taking on defending champions Australia from June 11.
India stayed on course to make it to their third straight WTC final.
It was India's fourth loss in the current WTC cycle, causing their PCT to drop from 68.06 to 62.82.
Aiden Markram scored an unbeaten century as South Africa edged tantalisingly close to an unlikely success in the World Test Championship final, needing 69 runs to dethrone Australia after reaching 213-2 at stumps on the third day at Lord's on Friday.
Pat Cummins tore through South Africa before a Proteas fightback left the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 on a knife-edge at the end of an absorbing second day at Lord's.
Temba Bavuma-led South Africa on Monday clinched a massive 10-wicket victory over Pakistan
Shubman Gill's unbeaten 129 in Delhi wasn't just another century; it was history etched in numbers and intent.
South Africa's run to the WTC final has been driven by their dominant performances, especially at home. In those matches, their potent pace attack, featuring Kagiso Rabada (37 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 19.8) and Marco Jansen (29 wickets in 7 matches), has proved to be a game changer.
South Africa's head coach Shukri Conrad is backing his spin troika of Keshav Maharaj, Senuran Muthusamy and Simon Harmer to match their seasoned counterparts from India and "make history of our own" in the upcoming Test series
India stumbled to second place in the ICC World Test Championship 2025 table after suffering a 0-3 series whitewash against New Zealand.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the WTC Final between Australia and South Africa at Lord's on Wednesday
India have relied on their spin strength on rank turners to gain points in WTC cycles in the past but Gill has said he wants his side to play on tracks that offer equally to batters and bowlers.
Lungi Ngidi's call-up indicates that Kagiso Rabada, who missed the team's memorable win in Kolkata due to a rib injury, is still uncertain for the Guwahati Test
South Africa are within touching distance of a place in next June's World Test Championship final at Lord's but must win at least one of their two Tests against Pakistan
The collapse, India's lowest failed chase at home, has left behind deeper fault lines than a dry Eden Gardens wicket can conceal.
Armed with a potent spin attack, taking on South Africa seems like competing against a "subcontinent team", Ten Doeschate said, admitting that they need to get better at negotiating the challenge posed by tweakers.
Proteas edge Pakistan to win thriller at Centurion
AB de Villiers feels the criticism that has come South Africa's way is unwarranted and they have rather done well to reach the WTC final despite experiencing "so many changes" in the last three to five years.
South Africa coach Shukri Conrad was overwhelmed to see his spinners rule the roost in the first Test against India at the Eden Gardens, signalling to him that the Rainbow Nation is no longer an exclusive "fast bowling country" and hoped that a lot more slow bowlers will emerge.
'Hopefully, not too far in the future, but more in the near future, we'll go back to play four Tests against India'
Skipper Shubman Gill acknowledged that the choice between a spinner and an extra seamer for the first Test against South Africa is nothing short of a "conflict".
Marco Jansen picked 12 wickets in the two Tests at an average of 10.08 including a six-wicket haul in the first innings of the Guwahati Test, while Jasprit Bumrah managed eight wickets in the series.
