The second edition of the World Test Championship (WTC) has reached its summit clash and India and Australia are all set to face each other on June 7 2023 at the Oval in London. New Zealand won the inaugural edition of WTC in 2021, beating India in the final by eight wickets.
However, this time around, the Kiwis couldn’t put their best foot forward and qualify as they finished in sixth place in the World Test Championship points table. Meanwhile, Australia topped the table with a PCT (percentage of points won) of 66.67 while India made it to the final with a PCT of 58.8. South Africa finished in third place, narrowly missing making the final of an ICC event yet again.
World Test Championship points table 2021/2023
| Position | Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn | Deduction | Points | PCT |
| 1 | Australia | 19 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 152 | 66.67 |
| 2 | India | 18 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 127 | 58.8 |
| 3 | South Africa | 15 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 55.56 |
| 4 | England | 22 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 124 | 46.97 |
| 5 | Sri Lanka | 22 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 64 | 44.44 |
| 6 | New Zealand | 13 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 60 | 38.46 |
| 7 | Pakistan | 14 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 64 | 38.1 |
| 8 | West Indies | 13 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 54 | 34.62 |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 12 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 11.11 |
How does the World Test Championship points table 2023 work?
According to the rules set out by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for WTC, teams achieved 12 points for a win, 4 for a draw and 6 for a tie for every game that is under the championship. Interestingly, teams are also fined for slow over-rate and one point is deducted for every less over bowled after all the time allowances are taken into consideration in a game. Points percentage system (PCT) will be used to determine the top two teams and it is calculated as follows:
Points won by a team/Points Contested * 100
The total points contested per game is 12 – the maximum a team can get. For example, Australia played 19 Tests in the WTC 2021/23 cycle, meaning the points contested were (19*12) 228. They won 11 games and drew five. Each win got them 12 points and each draw fetched them 4, giving them a total of 152 points. It gave them a PCT of 66.67.
After implementing all the rules, Australia and India ended up as the two teams in the World Test Championship points table 2023 and are hence, contesting in the final.
How each team fared in the World Test Championship points table 2021-2023
Bangladesh finished this edition of WTC in the ninth position in the table with their only win coming against New Zealand away from home. It was a historic victory for them as they beat a full-strength Kiwi side by eight wickets.
West Indies' decline in the Test format is concerning, and the recent WTC cycle should be a rude awakening for the officials. In this cycle, they didn’t perform to expectations, which reflects in their position in the World Test Championship points table 2023. They played 12 matches and won only 4 matches in the second edition of WTC.
Pakistan were the most disappointing team in this cycle of WTC. They had a great chance to make it to the final less than 12 months ago with five Tests to be played at home – 3 against England and 2 against Australia. Both teams historically struggled in Asian conditions but Pakistan ended up losing both the series, which also led to question marks over the quality of the tracks that were being prepared in the country.
New Zealand, the defending champions finished in sixth place with only four wins, 6 losses and 3 draws and never looked like making it to the final of the WTC.
Sri Lanka were one of the most impressive teams in the cycle. The fact that they were in the hunt of making it to the final until their last series of the cycle bodes well for the next edition. They won five Tests, lost six and drew one to end in fifth place.
England got ruled out of the final very early on after a disastrous 2021, which carried over to the Ashes last year. But a change in leadership and the coaching set-up turned things around. The duo of Ben Stokes (captain) and Brendon McCullum (coach) instilled a new brand of aggression in the team, with the term ‘Bazball' going viral. The motto of going for a win in any situation has seen them win 11 out of their last 13 Tests. However, their indifferent start to the WTC cycle affected them in the recent World Test Championship points table, and they finished in fourth position.
South Africa will be gutted to not make it to the final. They had the best chance to finish in second place until the debacle on the Australia tour at the start of the year. They couldn’t even win a single Test Down Under, which opened the door for India to qualify for the final. South Africa won 8 Test matches and lost six out of 15 they played in this WTC cycle.
India have made it to their second consecutive WTC final with a stunning show both at home and away. Out of 18 matches that they played, the team won 10 Tests, lost 5 and drew 3. In the final series, they beat Australia at home 2-1 to seal their place in the final.
Australia dominated the second edition of the World Test Championship points table 2021 to 23. Right from the start, they were at the top position thanks to their flawless record at home and their series win in Pakistan away strengthened their chances massively. Overall, they won 11 Tests out of 19 they played in the span of two years.
