WTC: The last final of the World Test Championship was played two years back in 2023 at Kennington Oval in London. The Aussies clinched that tournament when they won that match versus India and now the next final of this ICC mega event of the red ball format will be played next year in 2025.
The venue for the red ball event hasn’t been announced yet. But the reports say that the final of WTC in 2025 will be played at the stadium which is known as Mecca Of Cricket and Home of Cricket, called Lord’s. India had lifted their first ODI World Cup trophy at that venue in 1983 under Kapil Dev when they played the final of an ICC event at that venue.
WTC: India’s Performance And Upcoming Schedule In World Test Championship –
India and Pakistan are the old traditional rivals of International Cricket. Every match played between these two nations in all three forms of the game is very exciting to watch. As said earlier as well, these two teams meet only in the ICC or Asia Cup events because the bilateral series between these two nations hasn’t been played for many years.
India is in the number one position on the rankings of the WTC 2023 to 2025 cycle. The men under Rohit Sharma had reached the finals for two back-to-back times in 2021 and 2023. But they lost to New Zealand in the first-ever finals of WTC in 2021 and in 2023, the Men in Blue again failed to clinch the title versus Cummins and Co.
India hasn’t lost a series yet in this cycle of the ICC mega event of the Test format. They won against West Indies away from home in 2023. That series was played after the 2021 to 2023 WTC cycle. India won the home series versus England in 2024 and they also drew the two-match red ball series versus The Proteas when India toured South Africa in 2023.
Now the Blues are on a 42-day break after their ODI series against Sri Lanka. India will resume their duties against Bangladesh in a two-match Test series. These two red ball matches will be part of the WTC 2023 to 2025 cycle which will start from 19th September 2024.
Then India will play another series of the Test format at home. The Kiwis will compete against India in a three-match red ball series and then India’s toughest assignment versus Cummins and Co will take place from November 2024 to January 2025. India and Australia will play a series of five Test matches.
The Blues had won two back-to-back series on the earlier tours and this time they will be eyeing a hatrick of series wins Down Under. India’s series versus Australia will be the last one in this current cycle of World Test Championship (WTC).
WTC: Pakistan’s Performance And Upcoming Schedule Of World Test Championship –
When the new cycle of the WTC started in June 2023, Pakistan was ranked first and India was ranked second on the points table. But now the Men in Green had gone down to the 5th rank. They could win just two games of the test format till now from five matches played as of now. Their series versus Bangladesh will be crucial to make their case stronger to reach the second spot on the points table, where the Aussies are already there.
England will also travel to Pakistan for a three-match series of the red ball format later this year. England had won their maiden series in Pakistan when Stokes and Co had toured that Asian country for the last time in 2022. This time also Ben Stokes will fancy his chances to repeat the history in the Men in Green nation.
Pakistan’s final series of the World Test Championship cycle of 2023 to 2025 will end with a challenging tour of South Africa from December 2024 to January 2025. These two countries will face off for a two-match red ball series. Still, Sri Lanka is the only Asian side to win a red ball series in the Proteas Nation. Can Babar Azam and Co be the second Asian side to achieve that feat in South Africa?
WTC: How India Pakistan Can Still Play The Finals Of This ICC Test Match Event?
India is ranked first in the WTC new cycle. They have to play 10 red ball games and win five of them at least to cement their place in the finals of this ICC red ball event. It would be good if India wins those five matches at home before they tour Australia later this year and if they lose or draw a few games Down Under, still the Blues will get into the finals.
On the other hand, the Men in Green still have 9 red ball games to be played in this cycle of the World Test Championship. Two of those matches are in South Africa and seven of those will be played in their home nation. Pakistan needs to win six games to reach the finals of WTC and they also have a chance to eliminate England from the final qualification. But for that, Pakistan needs to win the Test series against Stokesy and his men.
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