The race to the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final at Lord’s is heating up as teams jostle for a place in the coveted summit clash.
With South Africa emerging as the front-runners, the standings continue to shift with every series, leaving some teams hopeful while others fall out of contention.
New Zealand concluded their WTC 2025 campaign with a hard-fought win over England but failed to secure a place in the final.
Despite a strong finish, the Black Caps' journey was marred by back-to-back defeats in Christchurch and Wellington, coupled with a slow over-rate penalty that cost them crucial points, ultimately leaving them in fourth place.
South Africa's recent dominance, including 2-0 series wins over Sri Lanka, has catapulted them to the top of the standings.
With standout performances and a solid home record, the Proteas are now in prime position to qualify for the final.
Their upcoming series against Pakistan could cement their spot at Lord’s if their winning streak continues.
Australia and India remain neck-and-neck in the battle for a top-two finish.
Despite a temporary setback following India’s loss to New Zealand, Australia regained momentum with a pink-ball victory in Adelaide.
However, India's impressive win in Perth against the Aussies keeps them firmly in the race, with both teams eyeing critical series in the coming months.
England’s WTC hopes were dashed after a mixed campaign. While they secured a dominant series win over New Zealand, early losses in Pakistan proved too costly.
Sri Lanka, too, struggled to keep pace after a promising start, with their chances significantly dented following a whitewash against South Africa.
Pakistan showed improvement with their recent 2-1 Test series win over England, following a whitewash in the home series against Bangladesh.
However, their chances of reaching the final remain slim, as they need an improbable combination of results to climb the standings. A challenging series against South Africa awaits them later this year.
The West Indies and Bangladesh have endured inconsistent campaigns.
While both teams have displayed flashes of brilliance, such as the West Indies’ triumph in Brisbane and Bangladesh’s series sweep over Pakistan, neither side has been able to sustain their form.
The Caribbean team will look to finish strong in their upcoming series against Pakistan in 2025.
With South Africa at the top of the standings and Australia, India and Pakistan still battling for a spot, the final months of the WTC 2023-25 cycle are set to bring fierce competition.
