Once there was a time when Test Cricket was the only format of the game. But then limited-overs format was introduced and became more popular than test cricket. In 1975, first World Cup was played with 60-over per side matches. Then in early 2000, the shortest format, T20 was introduced. Initially, it didn’t get much support from the audience. But after T20 World Cup and leagues like IPL, T20 cricket gains massive popularity.
With the increasing popularity of T20 leagues, test cricket is losing its charm. Now, ICC hoping to renew fans’ interest towards the greatest format of the game. They have introduced ICC World Test Championship which will start with the Ashes series from August 1.
ICC World Test Championship
Here are the important points of the ICC World Test championship.
- 9 out of 12 test playing nations are participating in the championship.
- Test championship is starting with Ashes series from 1 August 2019 and final will be played on England in June 2021.
- Each team will play a series with 6 different teams.
- In each series, there will be 2 to 5 matches.
- All the teams will not play the same number of matches but each team will have the chance to gain a maximum of 120 points from each series.
- The two teams which will get the most points after playing all the 6 series will play the final in Lords in June 2021.
ICC Test Championship Points System
Test series with a different number of matches will have a different points system. A team can get a maximum of 120 points from each series.
- 2-match series (Points Per Match): Win: 60 points, Draw: 20 points, Tie: 30 points, Loss: 0 points
- 3-match series (Points Per Match): Win: 40 points, Draw: 13.5 points, Tie: 20 points, Loss: 0 points
- 4-match series (Points Per Match): Win: 30 points, Draw: 10 points, Tie: 15 points, Loss: 0 points
- 5-match series (Points Per Match): Win: 24 points, Draw: 8 points, Tie: 12 points, Loss: 0 points
Also Read: Big Bash League Introduces A New Format For The Playoffs
India’s Schedule
Meanwhile, from 1st August Australia and England set to play their opening series of Test Championship. India will also play their first test series in August against West Indies. India will play 6 test series as the part of the championship in the next 2 years. However, India will not play with Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
- August 2019: 2 Tests vs West Indies (Away)
- October 2019: 3 Tests vs South Africa (Home)
- November 2019: 2 Tests vs Bangladesh (Home)
- February 2020: 2 Tests vs New Zealand (Away)
- Dec-Jan 2020-21: 4 Tests vs Australia (Away)
- Feb-March 2021: 5 Tests vs England (Home)