New Zealand advances to the final of the World Test Cricket Championship
The recent victory of New Zealand over the West Indies has boosted their chances of reaching the final of the World Test Cricket Championship (WTC), which will be held in June 2021 at Lord’s.
New Zealand was a step away from reaching the top spot in the Test rankings, finishing just 0.086 points behind Australia, after their victory in Wellington.
However, the news was accompanied by some confusion. For several hours after the match, the ICC’s prediction tool showed New Zealand at the top of the table. The ICC clarified in a tweet that Australia is in first place with 116.461 rating points, while New Zealand has 116.375.
Australia could extend their lead if they win the home series against India, but New Zealand’s two wins over the West Indies earned them 300 WTC points from four series in the current cycle, which ends on March 31, 2021.
If New Zealand repeats the 2-0 result against Pakistan later in their summer, they will finish with 420 points from five series.
This will leave India needing five wins, or four wins and three draws, from their last eight Tests (away against Australia and at home against England) to deny New Zealand a place in the WTC final to be played at Lord’s.
In a world without a pandemic, New Zealand would also have had to earn points in a series in Bangladesh, but because some series could not be played, the ICC had to change the criteria for absolute point classification to a percentage of points played. In other words, points per series played.
Australia currently tops the WTC table, with 82.2% of points won. If they manage a 2-2 draw against India, they will still lead the table with a percentage of 74.17, but if they lose 1-2, their percentage will fall to 70. Australia also has a three-Test series scheduled in South Africa.
If New Zealand wins its two Tests against Pakistan, it will finish with 84 points per series played or 70% of the points disputed.
When India, currently with 360 points from four series played, finishes its series against Australia and England, it will have played six series or 720 points. They will need to surpass 504 points to exceed New Zealand’s score of 84 points per series or 70% of the points played. Each of their remaining Test victories will now be worth 30 points, and draws will give them 10 points. Five wins or four wins and three draws will leave them ahead of New Zealand.
As for the rankings, depending on how the India vs. Australia series and the New Zealand vs. Pakistan series go, Australia could extend its lead at number 1 or cede ground to New Zealand.
