The World Test Championship (WTC) is a biennial competition between the top nine teams in men’s Test cricket, organised by the International Cricket Council. Teams earn points for each series they win or draw, with each win earning them 12 points. The team with the most points at the end of the WTC cycle is declared champions and receives the Test Mace. The final will be held at the home of cricket, Lord’s in London. This year, Australia and South Africa have both qualified for the final after accumulating a healthy amount of points during the WTC25 cycle.
Both teams have earned a spot in the final by winning or drawing series against Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and New Zealand. The Proteas have also defeated England at home, while India has won two of their three matches against them. The final will be held in June, which is an early summer in England and winter or monsoon season in other major cricket nations. This scheduling has been criticized, particularly by India, as it can make a WTC final harder to win.
The WTC was introduced in 2019 and replaced the ICC Champions Trophy, but the new event has been criticised for its points system and the exclusion of some full member teams, including Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe. The ICC has considered adding more teams to the competition and having two six-team divisions, with teams being promoted and relegated, but those proposals have yet to be implemented.