Recently we have got two finalists for the World Test Championship 2023. India and Australia are fixed to face each other on the pitch of the grand finale. There are many expectations from cricket fans who are praying their favourite team will grab the championship this year.
However, what will happen if both teams get to see a draw between them in the finals? Here we will discuss the WTC final draw, the impacts on the scoreboard and the process of selecting the winner for WTC 2023.
What is World Test Championship?
World Test Championship is the competition run by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for two years in every cycle to determine the champion in the format. Each team plays a set of series at home and away to make it to the tournament’s final. The two teams at the beginning of the points table make it to the final of the WTC at the end of each cycle. The tournament also fits in ICC’s intention of having one pinnacle event for each of the three formats in cricket.
The points system in the WTC table:
The points system in the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship attracted a lot of controversies. Hence, ICC changed the points system in the WTC 2021-23 cycle. Twelve points will be awarded to a team winning the Test match, while a tie is worth 6 points. On the other hand, a drawn Test means two teams will win 4 points each while there are 0 points for the team losing a Test match.
With the number of matches in a bilateral series varying between two and five for all teams, ICC introduced the percentage of points won to make it a level playing field for all the participating sides. Interestingly, a point will be deducted if a team bowls an over less in a stipulated period. One point will be deducted for each over a team bowls less in their bowling innings. The selection in the case of the WTC final draw is different.
WTC points table:
| Country | Matches | Wins | Losses | Ties | Draws | Points | Percentage |
| Australia | 19 | 11 | 03 | 00 | 05 | 152 | 66.67 |
| India | 18 | 10 | 05 | 00 | 03 | 127 | 58.80 |
| England | 22 | 10 | 08 | 00 | 04 | 124 | 46.97 |
| South Africa | 15 | 08 | 06 | 00 | 01 | 100 | 55.56 |
| Sri Lanka | 11 | 05 | 05 | 00 | 01 | 64 | 48.48 |
| Pakistan | 14 | 04 | 06 | 00 | 04 | 64 | 38.10 |
| West Indies | 13 | 04 | 07 | 00 | 02 | 54 | 34.62 |
| New Zealand | 12 | 03 | 06 | 00 | 03 | 48 | 33.33 |
| Bangladesh | 12 | 01 | 10 | 00 | 01 | 16 | 11.11 |
Which two teams will make the WTC final?
At the end of the two-year cycle, the two teams with the best percentage of points won, in other words, who are in the top two positions in the points table, will make it to the final of the World Test Championship. India and New Zealand qualified for the final in the inaugural edition of the championship. As for the tournament’s second edition, India and Australia make it to the final.
What will happen in case the WTC final is a draw?
ICC is making every possible effort to make the Test format interesting. The global governing body added a reserve day for the WTC final, and it helped New Zealand to win the championship in the previous cycle. However, even after an added sixth day, the WTC ends in a draw, and the two teams will be announced joint-winners.
Normally in the other tournaments we see, if there is a draw between the finale teams then the organisers look at their previous points and performances. But the system of this WTC final draw is quite different as we can say.
The overall scenario:
The World Test Championship’s league stage is designed so that each team plays around 12 to 22 matches. Every team will play six series, three at home and away, over two years. Also, do not disturb historical battles such as Ashes and Border-Gavaskar trophies; the ICC has given a leeway to the team to play at least two and a maximum of five Test matches in a series.
The Big Three of World Cricket, India, Australia, and England, have been involved in five-match Test series in different series, and Australia and India are the two finalists. However, if we witness the WTC final draw, expect any special circumstances; both teams will be announced as the champions of WTC 2023.
