The inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) was certainly a massive success, as it gave new relevance to Test cricket. With stakes in a Test match being increased, the teams leave no stones unturned, to win the game. Subsequently, there was a rise in the quality of Test cricket. After two years of grinding and hard-fought Test cricket, India and New Zealand became the finalists of the first WTC final.
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The prestigious title was eventually lifted by the Kiwis as they defeated India by eight wickets in the summit clash in Southampton. With the inaugural WTC concluded, the focus has been shifted to the second edition of the gala competition, which got underway with the recently-concluded England vs India 1st Test in Nottingham.
The final will take place in 2023. According to the format of WTC, each country will play 3 home series and 3 away series in this cycle. There’s also a change in the points system. Instead of the entire series, points will be given on a match-by-match basis. Teams will be awarded a total of 12 points for each match they win in this cycle, six for a tie, four for a draw, and zero for a loss.
However, the percentage of points will continue to be the primary criteria for ranking. Hence, teams all over the world must gear up to make a mark in the second World Test Championship cycle. Powerhouses like New Zealand, India, and Australia are deemed favorites to get the glory. However, with each team getting to play three home series, unpredictable results might also be witnessed.
Meanwhile, here’s the complete schedule of the ICC World Test Championship.
England vs India
1st Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, August 4 – August 8
2nd Test at Lord’s, London, August 12 – August 16
3rd Test at Headily, Leeds, August 25- August 29
4th Test at Pennington Oval, London, September 2 – September 6
5th Test at Emirates Easton, Birmingham, July 1 – July 5 ’22 (rescheduled)
West Indies vs Pakistan
1st Test at Sabina Park, Jamaica, August 12 – August 16
2nd Test at Sabina Park, Jamaica, August 20 – August 24
India vs New Zealand
1st Test – November 2021
2nd Test – November 2021
Bangladesh vs Pakistan
1st Test – November 2021
2nd Test – November 2021
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
1st Test – December 2021
2nd Test – December 2021
Ashes 2021-22
1st Test at the Gabby, Brisbane, December 8- December 12
2nd Test at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, December 16-December 20
3rd Test at the MCG, Melbourne, 30 December 26– December 30
4th Test at the SCG, Sydney, January 5 – January 9
5th Test at the Optus Stadium, Perth, January 14 – January 18
New Zealand vs Bangladesh
1st Test – December 2021
2nd Test – January 2022
South Africa vs India
1st Test – December 2021
2nd Test – December 2021
3rd Test – January 2021
Pakistan vs Australia
1st Test – February 2022
2nd Test – February 2022
India vs Sri Lanka
1st Test – February 2022
2nd Test – February 2022
3rd Test – March 2022
West Indies vs England
1st Test – March 2022
2nd Test – March 2022
3rd Test – March 2022
South Africa vs Bangladesh
1st Test – March 2022
2nd Test – March 2022
West Indies vs Bangladesh
1st Test – June 2022
2nd Test – June 2022
England vs New Zealand
1st Test – June 2022
2nd Test – June 2022
3rd Test – June 2022
Pakistan vs England
1st Test – October 2022
2nd Test – October 2022
3rd Test – October 2022
India vs Australia
1st Test – October/ November 2022
2nd Test – October/ November 2022
3rd Test – October/ November 2022
4th Test – October/ November 2022
Bangladesh vs India
1st Test – November 2022
2nd Test – November 2022
Pakistan vs New Zealand
1st Test – November 2022
2nd Test – November 2022
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