The ICC’s World Test Championship is the competition that decides which two teams are the best in the game of Test cricket. Each nation plays six series (three home and three away), earning points for wins, ties and draws – with a bonus point for a team bowling over 100 balls per innings. The top two teams then meet in a final cricket match at Lord’s.

South Africa have reached the final, facing Australia at the home of the game for the first time since 2023. The Proteas topped the WTC25 standings by winning series against Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, while also drawing with India at home and New Zealand away. Australia, meanwhile, finished second in the rankings after a series win against India and Pakistan, along with a home draw with England.

Before the final, the ICC released a promotional video building excitement for the clash featuring the likes of Proteas captain Temba Bavuma and ace pacer Kagiso Rabada. They are joined by former Proteas captain Stephen Fleming, Australia talisman Steve Smith and batting hero Travis Head, plus international stars such as Shaun Pollock, Dayle Steyn and Matthew Hayden.

While the current system of the World Test Championship has some flaws, it is a step in the right direction for the future of the game. The tournament should shift from being a complicated league with a final that seems to come out of nowhere to a more comprehensive tournament that gives the game’s most important contests more context.