World Test Championship is a new tournament that determines the world’s best team for the longest format of cricket. The tournament runs in two-year cycles and culminates in a final between the top two teams. It adds context and excitement to the sport’s oldest format.

The tournament features nine full members of the ICC: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies. Each team will play 27 series of three or more Test matches over the course of the competition. Each series will be worth a total of 12 points for a win, four for a draw and six for a tie. The teams are ranked according to their percentage of points won, calculated as (points won) / points contested.

A win for Australia would cement its position as the world’s premier Test side, but it will have to overcome a resurgent South Africa at Lord’s in order to do so. The Proteas were criticized for having an easier road to the final in this cycle, not facing Australia or England, but they have won eight straight Tests and are led by the country’s first Black captain, Siya Kolisi.

The final will be the third in the competition’s history, and will be the second to take place at Lord’s. The ECB has been awarded the rights to stage the 2027-29 and 2031 finals after winning a bidding process that included India, who were keen to host the event.