LISA STHALEKAR: South Africa in the box seat to play World Test Championship final against Australia

Ben Stokes came out before the test series against New Zealand a few weeks ago claiming that he was “confused” and found the point system used for the World Test Championships (WTC) “weird.”

“It’s one of those (the points table) where, you know, we don’t really look at it, I don’t look at it,” he said.

His theory is if you are playing great cricket over a long period, then you will find yourself playing in the final next year at Lord’s.

England are positioned fifth on the table, having won only 11 Tests out of the 21 they have played (they have played the most by any nation this WTC cycle) and have no way of getting up into the final.

So you guys stick to your very successful BazBall, and we will see you next year!

There are still 10 Test matches to go in the WTC cycle, and the exciting thing for the game is that there are still several contenders for the final. This cycle has been anything but boring and predictable.

Only a few months ago, England smashed Pakistan in Pakistan to win an unwinnable test, putting on 823 runs within 150 overs.

But the home side bounced back to win the series 2-1 after dropping a number of key players like Babar Azam.

Across the border, New Zealand created history by beating India 3-0 to hand them their first series whitewash loss at home.

India, supposedly a team in crisis, then flew to Perth and routed the Australians in the first Test.

It was an emphatic win, after being rolled for 150 in the first innings, without some of their key men.

Ten days later, the Aussies produced a great pink ball match win in Adelaide to level the series.

It sets up a fascinating platform for the remaining three Tests.

Over the ditch, England have thumped New Zealand in two Test matches.

All of these rollercoaster matches have been played in front of packed crowds.

“Test cricket is dying” has been the catch cry for several years now, so please, spare me.

It has lasted over 100 years, survived the emergence of white ball cricket and coloured clothing in the 1970s, and T20 cricket this century.

The game will continue to remain strong, and that is down to the fact that we are seeing more and more results and hardly any drawn Tests.

A three-day Test has almost become the norm with plenty of wickets falling and runs scored at a rapid rate to keep fans on the edges of their seats.

The outlandish cricket shots that we have seen of late by a number of players around the world are a glimpse into the future of Test matches – cricket as entertainment, not a chess match.

Players such as Rishabh Pant (80.03), Harry Brooks (83.63), and Travis Head (76.53) have hit most balls they see with their increased strike rates during this cycle of the WTC.

This is the new generation of Test cricketers, and I don’t mind it one bit.

So where are we at when it comes to the Test Championships, who is still in the running, given that our great mates England won’t be there?

It may surprise you that South Africa are top of the tree with their recent clean sweep of Sri Lanka at home.

They still have two more tests at home against Pakistan, and if they were to win at least one, it would be enough to secure an inaugural WTC final berth.

If they don’t, destiny won’t be in their own hands, and they would be reliant on other results to go their way.

Coming in second place and the defending champions are Australia. For the green and gold, they still have three tests against India and two away Tests against Sri Lanka.

They can secure their place by winning the Indian series.

Things would get a little harder if they were to lose the series against India 3-2, as they would be required to win both the Sri Lanka Tests to surpass India on percentage points.

There would still be other ways to get in, but that would rely on results from the South African-Pakistan series.

India is third, and before the shock loss against New Zealand, the majority of people assumed that it would be the same two teams fighting it out at Lord’s next June as they did in 2023.

India don’t have the luxury of another series, so everything hinges on these last three matches against Australia.

Ideally, they require two wins and a draw, which should assure them of second place behind South Africa.

If they were to win 3-2, then they would be hoping Sri Lanka win one Test against Australia.

Losing to Australia would pretty much count them out.

The other two outsiders are Sri Lanka and Pakistan, but I am giving them no chance to qualify with too many other results having to go their way, and I do have a word limit to this article.

All in all, it sets up for an exciting climax to the WTC, especially with the Border Gavaskar series as it heads to the Gabba, where they made history by breaking Australia’s 32-year unbeaten streak in 2021.