ICC World Test Championship final to be played at Lord’s in 2025

Lord’s will host the World Test Championship final for the first time in the summer of 2025, the International Cricket Council has announced.

Australia, the defending champions, beat India at The Oval in 2023 while New Zealand were victorious in Southampton in 2021 – during the tournament’s first edition.

The five-day final, which will start on 11 June, will be held between the two highest-ranking teams in the Test Championship rankings.

India are currently top of the standings, with Australia second. New Zealand trail in third while England are fourth, having lost six of their 15 tests over the past 18 months.

The nine participating teams are ranked based on their performances in Test matches over a two-year cycle, which started in 2023.

The finalists at Lord’s will be determined on 28 January, with New Zealand, England and South Africa still hoping to make a late charge to reach the one-off decider.