Test · International

ICC World Test Championship

The final that decides the best Test team in the world.

First held 2019
3 editions
Reigning: South Africa
Every two years

Overview

The ICC World Test Championship is the biennial league-and-final championship of Test cricket, with the winners awarded the Test Mace. The first cycle began in 2019 and South Africa are the current champions, having beaten Australia by five wickets in the 2025 final at Lord's.

The idea of a Test championship was first proposed in 1996 by former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, and was revisited in 2009 when the ICC met the MCC, with Martin Crowe among its main supporters. In 2010 the ICC approved a plan for a tournament in England and Wales in 2013, but it was not played in that form. The inaugural championship cycle started with the 2019 Ashes series and ran through 2019-2021.

COVID-19 suspended matches in March 2020 and led to several series being postponed or cancelled before the first cycle was completed. New Zealand became the first champions in June 2021, beating India by eight wickets at the Rose Bowl in Southampton in a final that used its reserve day. Australia won the second cycle, beating India by 209 runs at The Oval in June 2023.

South Africa won the 2023-2025 cycle, beating Australia by five wickets at Lord's in June 2025, which ended their long wait for an ICC title after the 1998 ICC KnockOut Trophy. Each of the three champions, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, has won one title. The 2025-2027 cycle began on 17 June 2025 and is due to finish with a final at The Oval, with the 2027-2029 cycle expected to include all 12 Test-playing nations.

How it works

In the nine-team championship each side plays six series in a cycle, three at home and three away, with each series containing two to five Tests. A win earns 12 points, a tie 6 and a draw 4, and teams are ranked by the percentage of available points won. The top two teams in the table meet in a one-off final, played over five days with a reserve day.

Who has won it most?

Titles won by each team across all 3 editions.

New Zealand 1 title

2019-21
Australia 1 title

2021-23
South Africa 1 title

2023-25

Winners by year

Newest first.

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Host	Result
2023-25	South Africa	Australia	England	South Africa won by 5 wicketsPlayer of the tournament: Aiden Markram (final)Australia 212 and 207; South Africa 138 and 282/5. 11-14 June 2025. Cycle: 2023-2025. Winning captain: Temba Bavuma.
2021-23	Australia	India	England	Australia won by 209 runsPlayer of the tournament: Travis Head (final)Australia 469 and 270/8 declared; India 296 and 234. 7-11 June 2023. Cycle: 2021-2023. Winning captain: Pat Cummins.
2019-21	New Zealand	India	England	New Zealand won by 8 wicketsPlayer of the tournament: Kyle Jamieson (final)India 217 and 170; New Zealand 249 and 140/2. 18-23 June 2021, with the reserve day used. Cycle: 2019-2021. Winning captain: Kane Williamson.

Records & facts

Most titles: New Zealand, Australia and South Africa (1 each)
Most runs in the championship: Joe Root, England (6,815, as of 12 September 2026)
Most hundreds: Joe Root, England (23, as of 12 September 2026)
Most runs in a single cycle: Joe Root, England (1,968 in 2023-2025)
Highest individual score: David Warner, Australia (335* v Pakistan, 2019-2021 cycle)
Most wickets in the championship: Mitchell Starc, Australia (234, as of 12 September 2026)
Most wickets in a single cycle: Nathan Lyon, Australia (88 in 2021-2023)
Best bowling in an innings: Ajaz Patel, New Zealand (10/119 v India, 2021-2023 cycle)
Best bowling in a match: Ajaz Patel, New Zealand (14/225 v India, 2021-2023 cycle)
Highest team total: England (823/7 declared v Pakistan, 2023-2025 cycle)
Lowest team total: West Indies (27 v Australia, 2025-2027 cycle)
Most dismissals by a wicket-keeper: Alex Carey, Australia (210, as of 12 September 2026)