The ICC World Test Championship 2025 Final race is set to witness dramatic scenes in the next few months with several teams still in contention for a spot. Will India make their third consecutive final? Every WTC 2025 Final scenario is explained here.
South Africa defeated Sri Lanka by 233 runs in the first Test of the ongoing two-match series at Kingsmead, Durban, on November 30. South Africa declared their second innings at 366 for 5, setting a daunting target of 516 for Sri Lanka, who could only manage 282 runs in 79.4 overs.
Marco Jansen was the standout bowler, taking four wickets in the second innings after his sensational seven-wicket haul in the first. Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, and Gerald Coetzee each took two wickets to seal the victory.
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With this comprehensive win, South Africa not only took a 1-0 lead in the series but also moved to second place in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 standings.
The Proteas, who started the match in fifth place with a 54.17% PCT, gained over 5 percentage points, climbing three spots with a current PCT of 59.26%.
On the other hand, New Zealand, following a historic 3-0 win over India, faced a heavy defeat to England in Christchurch. England’s eight-wicket victory, powered by Brydon Carse’s ten-wicket haul and Harry Brook’s 171, highlighted New Zealand’s dropped catches and inconsistent batting.
The defeat drops New Zealand’s WTC points percentage (PCT) to 50, level with Sri Lanka, significantly hurting their chances of reaching the final.
The race at the top of the ICC World Test Championship standings is incredibly close, with teams competing fiercely. Here’s a breakdown of how the teams are positioned.
After a surprising 3-0 whitewash at home against New Zealand in October that dropped them a spot in the WTC standings, India made a strong comeback with a dominant win in Australia. A brilliant all-round performance in Perth has revived India’s chances of reaching their third consecutive WTC Final.
Remaining matches: Australia (away, four Tests)
Best possible finish: 69.30%
South Africa continued their strong form from their series win against Bangladesh, securing a fantastic victory over Sri Lanka in the opening Test of their home season. This result propelled them above Australia, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka into second place in the WTC standings.
Remaining matches: Sri Lanka (home, one Test), Pakistan (home, two Tests)
Best Possible Finish: 69.44%
| Pos | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Draw | Ded | Points | PCT % |
| 1 | IND | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 110 | 61.11 |
| 2 | SA | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 64 | 59.26 |
| 3 | AUS | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 90 | 57.69 |
| 4 | SL | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 50.00 |
| 5 | NZ | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 69 | 47.92 |
| 6 | ENG | 20 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 22 | 102 | 42.50 |
| 7 | PAK | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 40 | 33.33 |
| 8 | WI | 10 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 26.67 |
| 9 | BAN | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 33 | 25.00 |
Australia, the defending World Test Championship winners, briefly reclaimed the top spot after India’s series loss to New Zealand but have now slipped to third following their defeat in the first Test against India. The win by South Africa in their opening Test against Sri Lanka also contributed to Australia’s fall in the standings.
Remaining matches: India (home, four Tests), Sri Lanka (away, two Tests)
Best Possible Finish: 71.05%
Sri Lanka had made a strong statement in their recent Test matches, with an impressive win over England in the third Test in England and a clean 2-0 sweep of New Zealand at home. These victories gave them confidence heading into their series in South Africa. However, a heavy defeat in the first Test in Durban has put them on the back foot. To stay in contention for the World Test Championship, they will need to bounce back in the second Test and adapt their strategies to salvage their chances.
Remaining matches: South Africa (away, one Test), Australia (home, two Tests)
Best Possible Finish: 61.54%
New Zealand’s hopes of winning a second World Test Championship, boosted by their 3-0 series win in India, suffered a big setback after losing to England in the first Test in Christchurch.
They can no longer cross the 60% points mark on the WTC table, which is key for qualification. While they’re not out of the race yet, they now need a lot of things to go in their favor to make it to the final next year.
Remaining matches: England (home, two Tests)
Best Possible Finish: 55.36%
England’s recent defeats in Pakistan have dashed their hopes of reaching next year’s World Test Championship final.
They began their final WTC series against the Black Caps with a commanding eight-wicket win and will aim to secure victories in the remaining two Tests as well.
Remaining matches: New Zealand (away, two Tests)
Best Possible Finish: 47.72%
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Pakistan, under new coach Jason Gillespie, has earned back-to-back Test wins but remains outside the top two in the standings. With six teams ahead of them, their chances of reaching the final are slim. Even if they win all four remaining Tests, they are unlikely to finish in the top spots. They first play South Africa in December, followed by two Tests at home against the West Indies in January.
Remaining matches: South Africa (away, two Tests), West Indies (home, two Tests)
Best Possible Finish: 52.38%
The West Indies’ second World Test Championship cycle has been disappointing, with a single memorable victory over Australia in Brisbane in early 2024. After dropping significant points at home against India, they struggled in Australia, England, and against South Africa. Despite winning their opening match against Bangladesh, they still face an uphill battle to improve their standings, with their campaign concluding with two away Tests in Pakistan early next year.
Remaining matches: Bangladesh (home, one match), Pakistan (away, two matches)
Best Possible Finish: 43.59%
Bangladesh’s Test loss to the West Indies has pushed them to the bottom of the WTC standings, with only one match left in their campaign. If they win the second Test against the West Indies, they will finish with a percentage of 31.25%, but this will not be enough to reach their first World Test Championship final.
Remaining matches: West Indies (away, one match)
Best Possible Finish: 31.25%
India, South Africa, Australia, and Sri Lanka are the key contenders for a spot in the WTC final.
After winning the first match of their five-Test tour in Australia, India needs to secure three victories from their remaining four matches to guarantee qualification for the World Test Championship final.
South Africa’s next three matches are crucial for their World Test Championship hopes. If they continue their strong performances and win all the three matches, they will be in a secure position to qualify for the final, regardless of how other teams perform.
Although Australia are currently trailing 1-0 in the home Border-Gavaskar series, they will also play two additional Tests in Sri Lanka next year. This means they could still potentially draw 2-2 with India and remain in the hunt for a spot in the World Test Championship final.
A big loss in Durban has forced Sri Lanka to reassess their strategy and focus on bouncing back in the second Test. If they manage to secure a win and continue their form, they could still challenge for a top-two finish in the WTC final, especially if they clinch the series against Australia at home.
Following their loss to England in the opening Test in Christchurch, New Zealand’s chances of crossing the vital 60% points threshold on the WTC table have vanished. While they are not completely out of contention, they now depend on multiple favorable outcomes to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive.
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