The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed the dates for the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 Final, which is scheduled to be played between June 7 to 11, 2023, at the Oval in England.
“The final of the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship will be played at The Oval, London from 7 to 11 June with a reserve day in place (12 June).” said the ICC in a press release.
The Oval in London will host the #WTC23 final, while the venue for the #WTC25 final has also been decided 🏏
— ICC (@ICC) September 21, 2022
More 👉 https://t.co/KAwg8uVJdN pic.twitter.com/w9qS7U8tEm
New Zealand had won the inaugural edition, defeating India by eight wickets in the 2021 final in Southampton, while Australia leads the nine-team points table for the ongoing cycle with a healthy points percentage of 75.56, followed by India at 58.93.
The two teams are set to face off in a four-match Test series, beginning 9 February in Nagpur, and the eventual result will play a significant part in determining the eventual finalists.
“The prospect of playing in the World Test Championship Final has been a big motivator for us over the last couple of years, more so now having missed out on over rates last time,” said Australia captain Pat Cummins.
Sri Lanka (53.33%) and South Africa (48.72%) too, who take the third and fourth positions respectively, are in with a chance. Sri Lanka have two away Tests against New Zealand remaining in the ongoing cycle, while South Africa’s last assignment is the two-match home series against the West Indies.
“Sri Lanka still has a good chance of making it to the World Test Championship Final.” said Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne. “We have done well to be among the top contenders, and if we can complete a good Test series on the upcoming New Zealand tour, our chances of making it to the Final will look like a greater possibility,” he added.
South Africa skipper Dean Elgar said, “While we may have an outside chance of qualification for the World Test Championship Final, there’s no greater encouragement than the thought of playing for silverware in such a historic format at such a historic ground.Â
WTC Remaining Fixtures For 2021-23 Cycle
- Ind vs Aus, Nagpur, Feb 9-13
- Ind vs Aus, Delhi, Feb 17-21
- Ind vs Aus, Dharamsala, Mar 1-5
- Ind vs Aus, Ahmedabad, Mar 9-13
- SA vs WI, Centurion, Feb 28-Mar 4
- SA vs WI, Johannesburg, Mar 8-12
- NZ vs SL, Christchurch, Mar 9-13
- NZ vs SL, Wellington, Mar 17-21
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