New Zealand close to the World Test Championship final
New Zealand’s recent victory over the West Indies puts them in a favorable position to reach the final of the World Test Cricket Championship (WTC), which will be held in June 2021 at Lord’s. New Zealand was on the verge of reaching the top spot in the Test rankings, finishing just 0.086 points behind Australia after their victory in Wellington.After the match, the ICC’s prediction tool initially showed New Zealand at the top, generating confusion. However, the ICC clarified that Australia maintains the first place with 116.461 rating points, while New Zealand has 116.375.
Australia could consolidate its leadership if it wins the series at home against India. For their part, New Zealand’s two victories over the West Indies gave 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, it will finish with 420 points from five series. This implies that India will need five wins, or four wins and three draws, in their last eight Test matches (away against Australia and at home against England) to prevent New Zealand from reaching the WTC final at Lord’s. Due to the current situation, the ICC modified the classification criteria, moving from absolute points to a percentage of points contested. Australia currently leads the WTC table with 82.2% of the points won. If they draw 2-2 against India, they will maintain the lead with 74.17%, but if they lose 1-2, their percentage will drop to 70%. If New Zealand wins both matches against Pakistan, it will finish with 84 points per series played, or 70% of the points played. India, which currently has 360 points from four series, will have played six series by the end against Australia and England, totaling 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 remaining Test victory for India will be worth 30 points, and draws will earn them 10 points. They need five victories, or four victories and three draws, to surpass New Zealand. Regarding the ranking, Australia could solidify its lead at number 1 or lose ground to New Zealand, depending on the results of the India vs. Australia and New Zealand vs. Pakistan series.
