New Zealand advances to the final of the World Test Cricket Championship
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 played 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.
The excitement was palpable when, for several hours after the match, the ICC’s predictive tool placed New Zealand at the top of the table, generating some confusion. However, the ICC clarified that Australia maintains first place with 116.461 points, while New Zealand has 116.375.
Australia could consolidate its leadership if it wins the home series against India. For its part, the two victories over the West Indies gave New Zealand 300 WTC points, obtained in four series of 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 qualification criteria, shifting from absolute points to a percentage of points disputed.
Australia currently leads the WTC table with 82.2% of the points won. If they manage a 2-2 draw against India, they will still lead with a percentage of 74.17%. If they lose 1-2, their percentage will decrease to 70.
New Zealand, if they win both matches against Pakistan, will finish with 84 points per series played, or 70% of the points contested.
When India 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 remaining Test victory will be worth 30 points, and draws will contribute 10 points.
Regarding the ranking, depending on the results of the India vs. Australia and New Zealand vs. Pakistan series, Australia could consolidate its lead or concede ground to New Zealand.
