In June 2025 at Lord’s, South Africa beat Australia by five wickets to win the World Test Championship, ending a wait for a major ICC title that stretched back to the 1998 Champions Trophy. Now the Proteas are defending that crown, and on 9 October 2026 Australia arrive at Kingsmead for the first of three Tests that carry serious weight in the 2025-27 cycle. If you have ever wondered why a draw in Durban could matter at The Oval next June, this guide is for you.
The World Test Championship at a glance
- What it is: a two-year ICC league for Test cricket that ends in a one-off final.
- Who plays: nine teams: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies.
- Format: each team plays six series, three at home and three away.
- Points: 12 for a win, 6 for a tie, 4 for a draw, nothing for a loss.
- Ranking: by the percentage of available points won, not by total points.
- The final: the top two meet at The Oval, London, from 9 to 13 June 2027.
- Holders: South Africa.
How the World Test Championship league works
The World Test Championship turns bilateral Test series into one league table. The 2025-27 edition started on 17 June 2025.
It is not a full round robin. According to the ICC, each nation plays six of the other eight sides, three at home and three away, over the two years. Series length varies from two Tests to five, depending on what the boards agreed in the Future Tours Programme.
That is very different from a short, sharp event like the T20 World Cup, where every team gathers in one place and the champion is decided within a few weeks. In the WTC, a result in Rawalpindi in October 2025 still counts when the finalists are confirmed in 2027.
The points system
Every WTC Test is worth the same 12 points, however long the series. The ICC kept the points percentage system used in the previous two editions.
| Result | Points earned | Share of the 12 on offer |
|---|---|---|
| Win | 12 | 100% |
| Tie | 6 | 50% |
| Draw | 4 | 33.33% |
| Loss | 0 | 0% |
So a two-Test series puts 24 points on the table, a three-Test series 36 and a five-Test series 60.
Why the table uses percentages
Here is the part that confuses most fans: teams do not play the same number of Tests. The ICC’s schedule has Australia playing 22 Tests, India 18 and New Zealand 16, while South Africa’s six series add up to 14. If the table ranked teams on raw points, the sides with more matches would have a built-in advantage.
Instead, the table ranks teams on the percentage of points won out of the points they have contested. The ICC’s WTC FAQ explains that “this system enables the relative performance of teams to be compared at any point in time. So, the cancellation of any matches or series for any reason does not directly impact the points table.”
Slow over rates cost points
Under the WTC playing conditions, a side loses one championship point for every over it is short of the required rate, after time allowances. That drags the percentage down.
The ICC docked England two points after the Lord’s Test against India in July 2025, and in September 2026 Pakistan lost 11 points after finishing 11 overs short at Edgbaston. For a team chasing a top-two place, a few lazy overs can undo a hard-earned draw.
Where the Proteas stand in the World Test Championship
When the ICC published its state of play update on 15 September 2026, Australia led on 80.00 per cent with eight wins from ten Tests. South Africa were second on 75.00 per cent from four Tests, with New Zealand third on 72.22.
South Africa’s start has been built on two tough away tours. In Pakistan in October 2025 they lost the first Test in Lahore by 93 runs, then hit back to win in Rawalpindi by eight wickets, with Keshav Maharaj taking seven wickets in an innings, according to ESPNcricinfo. A month later came a 2-0 series win in India, sealed by a 408-run victory in Guwahati that the ICC described as India’s heaviest Test defeat by runs. It was South Africa’s first Test series win in India since 2000.
What is at stake against Australia
The three Tests are at Kingsmead (9 to 13 October), St George’s Park (18 to 22 October) and Newlands (27 to 31 October). That is 36 points on offer against the team at the top of the table.
Here is simple arithmetic showing where South Africa’s percentage would land after the series, assuming no over-rate deductions:
| Series outcome for South Africa | Points after 7 Tests (of 84) | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Win 3-0 | 72 | 85.71% |
| Win 2-0 (one Test drawn) | 64 | 76.19% |
| Win 2-1 | 60 | 71.43% |
| Draw 1-1 (one Test drawn) | 52 | 61.90% |
| Lose 1-2 | 48 | 57.14% |
| Lose 0-3 | 36 | 42.86% |
Because South Africa have played so few Tests, every result swings their percentage sharply.
Selection will shape it. Cricket.com.au reported on 28 September that Kagiso Rabada was named in an 18-player preliminary squad despite a hamstring injury, with coach Shukri Conrad saying the team want to “give Kagiso every chance of being available for selection”. Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman and Kwena Maphaka are all out with hamstring injuries.
After Australia, the Proteas stay home for two Tests against Bangladesh at the Wanderers and Centurion in November, then three against England at the Wanderers, Centurion and Newlands over the festive season, as confirmed in the home schedule. A two-Test tour of Sri Lanka completes their 14 matches.
How the final works
Once the league stage ends, the top two teams on percentage play a one-off Test for the title. The ICC confirmed that the 2027 final will be played at The Oval from 9 to 13 June 2027, a match that will celebrate 150 years of Test cricket. England will also host the 2029 and 2031 finals.
Why it matters to Proteas fans
For years South Africa carried the label of a side that fell short on the biggest days. Lord’s changed that. Set 282 to win, the Proteas got there with five wickets in hand, thanks to 136 from Aiden Markram, 66 from captain Temba Bavuma and nine wickets in the match from Rabada, who took 5/51 and 4/59, as recorded in the ICC’s match release.
In 2023-25 South Africa reached the final by winning their last seven Tests in a row, as ESPNcricinfo noted. With only 14 Tests this cycle, there is little room to hide, and a home series against the side leading the table is exactly the kind of block that decides who plays at The Oval.
Frequently asked questions
How many points is a Test worth in the World Test Championship?
Every Test is worth 12 points. A win earns all 12, a tie earns six for each side, a draw earns four each and a loss earns nothing. The value does not change with series length, so a Test in a two-match series counts exactly the same as one in a five-match series. Points can also be deducted for slow over rates, at one point per over short.
Why is the table ranked by percentage and not total points?
Teams play different numbers of Tests in a cycle. Australia are scheduled for 22 in 2025-27, while South Africa play 14. Ranking on raw points would favour the busier teams. Using the percentage of points won from points contested lets the ICC compare every side fairly at any stage, and a cancelled match or series does not directly distort the table.
When and where is the next World Test Championship final?
The 2027 final is scheduled for The Oval in London from 9 to 13 June 2027. It will be the second WTC final at The Oval after 2023, and it falls in the year Test cricket marks 150 years. England have been awarded hosting rights for the 2027, 2029 and 2031 finals, with the ECB choosing the venues.
What happens if the final is drawn?
Under the playing conditions for the 2025 final at Lord’s, a draw, tie or abandoned match meant the two finalists would be declared joint winners. A reserve day was also set aside, used only to make up time lost to weather during the five scheduled days. ScoreLine will update this answer once the ICC publishes the playing conditions for the 2027 final.
Do South Africa have to beat Australia to reach the final?
Not strictly. South Africa still have ten Tests left, against Australia, Bangladesh, England and Sri Lanka, with 120 points available. What matters is their final percentage compared with the other contenders. But the Australia series is worth 36 points against the current leaders, so a strong result would lift the Proteas and hold back a direct rival at the same time.
Sources used
- https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/world-test-championship-2025-27-cycle-commences-with-sri-lanka-bangladesh-and-england-india-series (checked 12:52 SAST): format, nine teams, six series each, points values, match counts
- https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/state-of-play-as-the-icc-world-test-championship-2025-27-resumes (checked 12:51 SAST): standings at 15 September 2026, Pakistan and India results, remaining opponents
- https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/icc-world-test-championship-2-faqs (checked 12:58 SAST): percentage system, one point per over short
- https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/england-docked-points-for-slow-over-rate (checked 13:07 SAST): England two-point deduction, July 2025
- https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/pakistan-hit-with-duel-world-test-championship-sanction (checked 13:07 SAST): Pakistan 11-point deduction, Edgbaston, September 2026
- https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/south-africa-in-pakistan-2025-26-1501888/pakistan-vs-south-africa-2nd-test-1501894/match-report-2 (checked 13:05 SAST): Rawalpindi win by eight wickets, Maharaj seven-for
- https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/south-africa-in-pakistan-2025-26-1501888/pakistan-vs-south-africa-1st-test-1501893/live-cricket-score (checked 13:06 SAST): Lahore defeat by 93 runs
- https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/proteas-make-wtc-gains-with-historic-india-series-win (checked 13:03 SAST): 408-run win in Guwahati, first series win in India since 2000
- https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/south-africa-unveil-schedule-for-key-wtc-series (checked 13:01 SAST): home Test dates and venues
- https://www.cricket.com.au/news/4582978/kagiso-rabada-south-africa-first-test-australia-durban-kingsmead-squad-preliminary-anrich-nortje-coetzee-ackermann (checked 13:01 SAST): Rabada squad and injury, Conrad quote, injured fast bowlers
- https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/venue-and-dates-for-world-test-championship-2027-final-revealed (checked 12:57 SAST): 2027 final at The Oval, 9 to 13 June 2027
- https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/wtc-final-2025-faqs-is-there-a-reserve-day-and-what-happens-in-case-of-a-draw-1489513 (checked 12:59 SAST): 2025 final reserve day and joint winners
- https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/south-africa-seal-historic-icc-world-test-championship-triumph (checked 12:56 SAST): 2025 final result and figures
- https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/road-to-the-wtc-final-south-africa-chase-a-maiden-icc-title-after-seven-straight-test-wins-1488065 (checked 13:05 SAST): seven straight Test wins to reach the 2025 final