Australia, New Zealand gain upper hand in tight WTC 2025–27 contest

The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 cycle has reached a defining phase, with several teams already beginning to separate themselves in the race for the coveted top-two positions and a place in the final. Early series results have significantly shaped the standings, while upcoming tours promise to further intensify the competition.

Australia, the 2023 World Test Championship winners have enjoyed a flawless start, sweeping West Indies away in the Caribbean before retaining the Ashes in emphatic fashion. A 3-0 series victory, sealed in Adelaide, underlined Australia’s dominance and extended their unbeaten run against England to 18 matches.

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With a 100 per cent record so far, Pat Cummins’ side sit comfortably at the top of the standings and are well placed to reach a third WTC final. Following the conclusion of the Ashes, Australia will not return to Test cricket until the second half of 2026, when demanding away tours of India and South Africa loom, along with a home series against New Zealand later in the year.

New Zealand, the inaugural WTC winners, have surged into second place after an impressive start to their campaign. The Kiwis began their cycle with a three-match home series against West Indies. After a high-scoring draw in the opening Test, in which the visitors defied the odds to escape with a dramatic stalemate, New Zealand took control. A clinical nine-wicket win in the second Test was followed by a dominant 323-run victory in the series finale. That 2-0 result has pushed the Black Caps ahead of South Africa in the standings.

However, tougher challenges await Tom Latham’s side, including away tours of England and Australia in 2026, as well as a home series against India later in the cycle.

South Africa, the defending World Test Champions, have announced themselves with authority. A historic 2-0 series victory away to India, their first Test series win on Indian soil in 25 years, has propelled the Proteas into the top three. Having already drawn a series in Pakistan, Temba Bavuma’s men have successfully negotiated two of their three major away assignments, collecting three Test wins in the process.

The road ahead remains demanding, with Australia and England both scheduled to tour South Africa for three- and four-match series respectively. Nevertheless, the reigning champions have laid a solid foundation in their title defence.

Sri Lanka began their WTC campaign on a positive note, edging Bangladesh 1-0 in a closely contested two-match series in June. While the early result has provided encouragement, the challenges ahead are significant. Tours of the West Indies and Pakistan in 2026 will test Dhananjaya de Silva’s side, while home series against India and South Africa later in the cycle add further difficulty to their schedule.

Pakistan opened their campaign with a home series draw against South Africa but will not feature in Test cricket again until 2026. Their schedule then intensifies with away tours of Bangladesh, West Indies and England. In addition, home series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand remain, giving Pakistan a mixed slate of opportunities and obstacles as they look to improve their standing.

Two-time runners-up India find themselves under mounting pressure after enduring a difficult start, suffering a 0-2 home series defeat to South Africa. Having already played half of their scheduled Tests in the cycle, India now have little margin for error, with their points percentage dipping below 50.

Crucial away tours to Sri Lanka and New Zealand await in 2026, followed by another edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. To keep their hopes of a third WTC final alive, India will need a strong turnaround in results.

England have also been placed in a precarious position. A 2-2 home series draw against India provided a steady, if unspectacular, start to the cycle. However, defeats in the first three Tests of the ongoing five-match Ashes series have left Ben Stokes’ side under immense strain. England’s struggles in Australia are well documented, and history will need to be defied if they are to push for a maiden WTC final appearance. Further challenges await with a difficult away series in South Africa, along with home and away contests against New Zealand and Pakistan.

Bangladesh have managed to get on the board with a hard-fought draw against Sri Lanka in Galle, despite losing the series. Najmul Hossain Shanto’s team will be eager to build momentum when they face Pakistan in a two-match series in early 2026. However, stern tests lie ahead, including away tours of Australia and South Africa, a home series against West Indies, and a later visit from England.

West Indies have endured a tough start to the cycle, losing seven of their eight Tests so far. Series defeats at home to Australia and away to India and New Zealand have left them near the bottom of the standings, with the lone highlight being a resilient draw in Christchurch. Under new leadership with Roston Chase, the side is in rebuilding mode. Encouragingly, two of their next three WTC assignments will be at home, offering a chance to arrest their slide and regain confidence.

As the 2025–27 World Test Championship cycle unfolds, early momentum has clearly favoured Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. With several heavyweight series still to come, the race for the final remains open, but the margin for error is rapidly shrinking for the chasing pack.