Now that England’s tour of Sri Lanka has finished, the build-up to the climax of the inaugural World Test Championship can begin.
The top of the table is tight, with the usual suspects in the hunt for a place in June’s final at Lord’s.
Postponements due to COVID mean the league table will be decided on the percentage of points scored out of points available, and it is India who lead the way on 71.7 percentage points.
India have four Tests against England to go, and will start that series as favourites. As such, they are also a shoo-in for a place in the World Test Championship final.
Off the back of an incredible series victory in Australia, why wouldn’t India be favourites?
Their English opponents, who also have four Tests left to go, seem to have a habit of winning Test matches in the most uncomfortable fashion.
Were Sri Lanka not to have shot themselves in the foot by getting bowled out cheaply in both Test matches, England would have had a real job on their hands to take the win.
England epitomised the saying from the film Forrest Gump because “you never knew what you were going to get.”
For sure, England have won their fifth consecutive Test away from home, the first time that has happened in over a century, which is no mean feat, but they mustn’t be over confident.
Cracks are still there to be exposed, and there’s the resting and rotation of players to be navigated as well.
Although that is a good strategy considering England will have played 17, maybe even 18, Tests by the end of this year, they must be careful not to set themselves a trap.
Joe Root is among the runs. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
However, England have already targeted India as their big challenge and rested Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes accordingly, while Rory Burns was on paternity leave.
For England, the road to the World Test Championship final is a difficult one.
I’ve done the number crunching and they need to beat India 4-0, which would leave them on 73.8 percentage points.
The thorn in England’s side is New Zealand, who have finished their campaign on 70 percentage points.
Because of this, even with a 3-1 series victory to England, they would finish on an agonising 69.7 percentage points, with India still sitting on 72.2 percentage points.
Seeing as a prediction of a 4-0 away win to England is nothing short of arrogance, it looks as if England will have to say goodbye to their dreams of a World Test Championship final at home.
All is not lost though obviously as they should still aim for the series victory regardless and continue building towards a mammoth home summer and the Ashes in Australia.
Australia are also looking down the barrel of needing an unbeaten run to the finish to secure a place in the final.
They have a three-match Test series against South Africa left to go.
A 3-0 series victory would put them on 75.3 percentage points and through to the final, whereas a 2-1 series victory would only put them on 68.6 percentage points, which is not good enough.
We should be wary of writing off South Africa seeing as they have been in good form of late, comprehensively beating the Sri Lankans over the festive period.
They could throw a cat among the pigeons, particularly if Australia is unable to get back into a rhythm.
Despite a simultaneous T20 tour of New Zealand offering an easier time of things in terms of quarantining, the consensus is that the South Africa Test series is the priority.
So all the cast from the India series will be on the plane, perhaps bar Matthew Wade.
Hopefully from an Australian perspective, everyone will be at full fitness, particularly the openers, David Warner and Will Pucovski, who is in a race against time to be fit for the South Africa tour.
The bowling department also has room for improvement, with Mitchell Starc having come under fire in the last two Tests against India.
With the tour of South Africa being Australia’s last involvement in the Test game until The Ashes, could now be the time to work on building the batting and bowling stocks?
Mitchell Starc. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
All is not lost for Australia either as there is always something that can be worked on.
As for New Zealand, they deserve a place in the World Test Championship final, as appears to be the case.
Another unbeaten home Test summer with the rising star of Kyle Jamieson with the ball and the mastery of Kane Williamson with the bat showed how New Zealand’s renewed focus on Test cricket has paid off.
Without getting too ahead of myself, an India-New Zealand final is truly mouthwatering.
The Black Caps smashed India 2-0 last February and they will have a little advantage in that they have a two-match Test series against England at the start of June before the World Test Championship final takes place later on that month.
India will bring their a-game no matter what, and if they continue playing like they did against Australia, we’re in for a treat in their series against England next month, let alone in a match-up against New Zealand.
Test cricket is in rude health, and long may that continue.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi Micko. I don’t remember any price differences at the Gabba (where I gone most for last 20 years) between which ever nations play. I only notice the price difference in the seating, which sometimes the less attended tests you can’t buy certain areas. By for the most packed has been the ashes tests for the entire duration of days for me.
Bludger
Guest
Yes, it is bewildering this edition of the Championship. It should just be a straight 50, 100 or whatever for a series win. A loss should be zilch and a drawn series should be split points. The word out of the ICC is they are looking to can the entire concept. So unless someone can come up with the money it'll be one and done for the the Test Championship.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi matth. I think it all pretty close with the top four, then sort of close between the bottom. No one really dominant, they can all be pretty hopeless at times. I down really understand how the WTC worked out. Lol. How points given, do they all play each other or can this be a little ‘games’? I think it a good idea but should be best of three unlimited days. Lol. Make final even more above test level. Lol.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Headingley 2019 says "Hi!".
AEQ
Guest
The points calculations don't seem correct in this article - it states India is currently on 71.7% but later it says if they lose 3-1 to England they will then be on 72.2%. That cannot be right?
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Rubbish wtc is whatever one off match not s test of anything
Pierro
Roar Rookie
People like you like to lose home test series but like rubbish one off test matches probably . It's nothing like the world cup a non event for now
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Not sure b and c graders many will stay in side including gill jadeja and pant let alone siraj so that's rubbish m end of the day kiwis can't win in aus but we win in nz at times m nz are useless
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Its been scraped and or delayed before covid and reborn so off the mark there tim . The concept is a nonnevent right now it's a one off test match m the acid test in test cricket now is winning abroad that is all
Micko
Roar Rookie
Well, apart from Kohli that was a full strength batting lineup, but the bowling was certainly the C grade guys...bloody impressive though! :thumbup:
Micko
Roar Rookie
That's petty kiwi jealousy. If the Bledisloe was as culturally significant in Australia as the Ashes, kiwis would be absolutely ecstatic.
Bludger
Guest
Would like to see a few minor tweaks to the concept. 1. An app, maybe a little like baseball's At Bar or Golf TV for the PGA Tour that allows you to watch any match in the tournament with all money raised to go to funding it. Who knows they might be able to get enough cash through that to put on a minimum 3 tests per series. Money pooled through sponsorship to fund all the nations for the 'betterment of cricket'. Cash is the biggest issue with test match cricket, so make an incentive to promote it. Clearly there is plenty of interest. It could be like the US PGA tour if it was organised well instead of everyone pulling in their own directions. 2. A simple system of every team plays a series against each other in a cycle over two years, with a reverse season playing at alternate venues in the subsequent 2 years. 10 points for a series win, five for a drawn series as long as they play a minimum of 3 tests. Not sure if I would bother with a final, an EPL system of first past the post could be okay. Timeless test match for the decider to ensure a result. I'd even entertain away team gets the choice to bat first rule too. Cricket pitches need to be fair, no more Indian subcontinent dustbowl roads. We just need to find the money and get people watching and engaged and it will explode the interest in real cricket.
Reddy
Roar Rookie
T20 is king on nz shores for live viewership as I keep mentioning in other articles. Eden park is not suitable for test cricket because of the uneven length of the boundaries. T20s and Odis are played mostly so NZ cricket can make a profit. There really isn't anything stopping Australia to play test matches at the basin reserve or hagley oval etc except for Australia's schedule where they must play england in the ashes or 4 tests against India every 6 months. Slight exaggeration I know.lol
therealnews
Roar Rookie
The concept has been successful in increasing interest in all test matches and if given the right support could be a vital part of the sport going forward. I think the worst thing for the concept is if Australia scrape into the final and then beat India in a one-off test. Would that really prove anything? My preference would be to make it a 4-year tournament, split the teams into two pools based on rankings, home and away within your pool in the first two years and then split into a top half-bottom half for the second two-year period to find a winner.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
The cancelling and rescheduling was down to the coronavirus,so it's hardly a failure of the concept, nor a perennial problem.
Great thread. So are we all at a consensus then? Cancel the overhyped usually all over by stumps on day 2 of the 3rd test, Ashes? :silly:
I do. Prefer League over the Rah Rah myself and Kiwis and Kangaroos ....and now Tonga, should play more internationals.
Fred mate, outstanding post. The post of the summer, if I may say so myself. I'm with you, Ashes is a bit like State of Origin - overhyped and relying on past deeds. Apart from a couple series in the last 30 years, England have been rubbish and hardly deserve two tests let alone the five they get to play in Australia every couple years.
At least we didnt lose to India B and C team mate like you Ockers - absolutely embarrassing j
Lol me too...watched it all this summer. Thank heavens for satellite tv beaming it all in