The World Test Championship: The final showdown — 2021
Sports
What is the World Test Championship?
ICC World Test Championship or WTC is a league-based men’s test cricket tournament played over a period of two years. Out of the 12 test-playing nations, the top 9 ranked teams participated in the inaugural tournament which was played between 2019–21. India and New Zealand ended the league stage as the top 2 ranked teams, qualifying for the final to be played at Rose Bowl, Southampton, England, from June 18 to June 22.
WTC Final: The showdown
- In the final, India and New Zealand will compete for the coveted “Mace” along with a prize money of USD 1.6 million, while the runner-up will take home USD 800,000
- 4,000 viewers have been allowed inside the stadium in adherence to the Covid-19 norms
- An additional 6th day has also been reserved to compensate for any loss of overs during the stipulated five days
- The finalists will share the trophy in case the game ends in a draw
India vs. New Zealand: The history
- India and New Zealand have played 59 test matches against each other, with India winning 21, New Zealand winning 12 and 26 matches ending in a draw
- Both India and New Zealand have won all their respective home series during WTC
- During the league stage, New Zealand defeated India 2–0 in New Zealand
- The neutral venue of the final eliminates any home advantage to either of the finalists, and a fair contest is expected.
WTC — The need of the hour?
To make cricket more globally acceptable, the International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced Limited Overs formats such as One Day Internationals (1971) and T20 (2005) which are more entertaining and received widespread popularity. Both formats are more result-oriented, time flexible, hold periodic world cups and generate more revenue than test matches.
Moreover, the infrastructure required to bring out quality test cricket players is restricted to only a handful of cricketing nations. Even the once glorious test teams such as West Indies and Pakistan are now moving to inculcate more T20 cricketers. With the surge of domestic T20 leagues such as IPL and Australia’s T20 Big Bash, young cricketers completely bypass the longest format of the game.
ICC: Reforms and WTC
To make the format more competitive, ICC has been awarding the top-ranked test team at the end of the year with a trophy called “The Mace” since 2003. ICC also introduced pink ball test matches, which allowed the game to be played during the night. However, it was evident that a summit tournament like WTC was needed to bring back the lost charm of test cricket and keep it sustainable.
Author’s opinion
Test cricket is an exhibition of the endurance, determination, and skill of the cricketers. WTC is a step in the right direction as it brings more structure and much-needed competitiveness to the entire format. During the league stage of WTC, India vs. England test series registered a cumulative viewership of 103 million, which is the highest in the last five years for test matches.
Over the years, ICC has gradually increased the number of test-playing nations. Also, ICC’s move to a percentage-based ranking system during the pandemic has brought more inclusivity and flexibility to the WTC framework(amidst some confusion).
The much-awaited final is expected to rake in record TV viewership from around the world as India’s captain Virat Kohli and the Kiwi’s captain Kane Williamson fight for the biggest honours of test cricket. So who are you rooting for?
Like what you read? Share this article with your friends and follow us on:
Instagram|LinkedIn|Newsletter
