History of the World Test Championship
The International Cricket Council (ICC) hosts a league competition for Test cricket called the World Test Championship (WTC). It kicked off on 1 August 2019 with the goal of becoming Test cricket’s most prestigious tournament. In keeping with the ICC’s vision of a single flagship competition across all three international cricket formats, this makes sense.
Although the ICC gave their blessing to the notion of a World Test Championship in 2017, it has been discussed as early as 2009. Due to scheduling issues, the inaugural WTC has to be moved from 2017 to 2019.
Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies are among the top nine Test-playing nations that compete in the WTC. There are a total of 12 Test matches between the two teams. The teams are ranked according to their point totals, and the top two teams after the league round advance to the championship round.
The World Trade Center’s point system is as follows:
You get 12 points for a victory.
A Draw is worth 4 points.
There are no points for a loss.
The World T20 Championship final is a one-off Test match between the two best teams from the league stage. The championship match will be contested over the course of five days, plus an extra day in case of inclement weather.
New Zealand won the first WTC after defeating India by eight wickets in the final. The championship game of the second WTC will be played in June of 2023.
Many in the cricket community see the WTC as having revitalised Test cricket. The intensity of competition has raised the bar for Test cricket and produced some thrilling, hard-fought games.
Although it is still in its infancy, the WTC already shows promise as a major cricketing tournament. This tournament will put the world’s top Test cricketers to the test and will give spectators a chance to see some truly remarkable moments.
Some of the most memorable moments of the first WTC:
It was a huge surprise when New Zealand beat India in the final, as India was widely considered to be the better team. New Zealand pulled down India’s target of 139 with eight wickets remaining after bowling them out for 170 in their first innings.
The Ashes double century by Steve Smith: In the first innings of the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston, Steve Smith hit 239 runs, allowing Australia to set a mammoth mark of 576 runs for England to chase down. England lost by an innings and 149 runs after being bowled out for a total of 277 and 187 respectively.
The 118 runs scored by Rishabh Pant in the second innings of the fourth Test against Australia at the Gabba were crucial in India’s successful pursuit of the 369-run target. In recent Test history, Pant’s innings stand out as one of the most entertaining and memorable.
A big 595-run mark was set for Pakistan after Joe Root hit 303 runs in the first innings of the second Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s. Pakistan lost by an innings and 149 runs after being bowled out for 342 and 294 in their respective innings.
Australia swept Sri Lanka 2-0 in a three-Test series thanks in large part to Pat Cummins’ performance, in which he collected 28 wickets. Cummins’ bowling was essential to Australia’s win, as he regularly picked up wickets when they counted.
These are only a few of the landmark events that occurred in the original World Trade Centre. The tournament has given cricket fans some spectacular moments and increased the sport’s reputation. Although it is still in its infancy, the WTC already shows promise as a major cricketing tournament.