Australia's road to the World Test Championship final

Australia have reached their second straight World Test Championship Final and will face South Africa at Lord's from June 11-15 for a chance to defend the mace.

Pat Cummins' side secured the trophy awarded to the best men's Test side in each two-year cycle by beating India at The Oval in 2023, and it was their 3-1 series victory over the same side that saw them lock up a spot in the top two for the 2025 decider.

Their thrilling six-wicket win over India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy finale at the SCG this month was the culmination of a dominant two-year stretch for Australia that began with retaining the Ashes 2-2 in England.

Australia still have two Tests remaining in the current WTC cycle against Sri Lanka in Galle, they can't pip the Proteas 69.44 percentage points at the top of the standings, so let's take a look back at the Aussies' road to the big dance.

How the World Test Championship works

• The WTC comprises of the top nine Test teams who play six series each cycle – three at home and three away – with the top two (South Africa and Australia) qualifying for the final
• Teams received 12 points for each Test victory, six points for a tie (although there were none of these, with West Indies eight-run victory at the Gabba the narrowest margin), four points for a draw and zero points for a loss
• Ladder positions are then calculated by a percentage of points available given the differing number of Tests in each series

Ashes – June-August 2023 (drawn 2-2)

First Test (Edgbaston): Australia won by two wickets

 

Second Test (Lord's): Australia won by 43 runs

 

Third Test (Headingley): England won by three wickets

 

Fourth Test (Old Trafford): Match drawn

 

Fifth Test (The Oval): England won by 49 runs

Australia scooted to a 2-0 lead thanks to Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon's heroics at Edgbaston before surviving a Ben Stokes (155) onslaught at Lord's. In a series that featured multiple flashpoints, the biggest of those came on the fifth day at Lord's when Alex Carey stumped Jonny Bairstow as he wandered out of his crease after ducking under a short delivery. That ignited the typically genteel crowd at the Home of Cricket as Stokes smashed nine sixes to take England within 43 of a remarkable victory before two wickets to Josh Hazlewood – including that of Stokes – helped the visitors hang on. Usman Khawaja (141 at Edgbaston) and Steve Smith (110 at Lord's) both hit centuries to lead Australia's charge before the series turned.

Lyon's series-ending calf injury at Lord's and Cameron Green's hamstring complaint forced Australia into two changes at Headingley as Green's replacement Mitch Marsh resurrected his Test career with a stunning run-a-ball 118 on the opening day. England fell behind on the first innings but Harry Brook's 75 and Chris Woakes and Mark Wood's unbeaten 24-run eighth-wicket stand saw the hosts get on the board in a thriller. But it mattered little when rain washed out the final two days of the fourth Test in Manchester after England dominated the first three, with Australia taking an unassailable 2-1 lead.

Another flashpoint occurred on the penultimate day of the series at The Oval when a ball change by the umpires saw Australia lose both openers and Marnus Labuschagne in quick succession, before eventually falling 49 runs short in another tight encounter. England great Stuart Broad took his 604th and final Test wicket to seal victory that levelled the series 2-2.

Benaud-Qadir Trophy – December 2023-January 2024 (won 3-0)

First Test (Perth Stadium): Australia won by 360 runs

 

Second Test (MCG): Australia won by 79 runs

 

Third Test (SCG): Australia won by eight wickets

Australia dominated from start to finish as David Warner signed off a magnificent Test career with 57 in his final innings to help secure a 3-0 series victory in Sydney. Captain Pat Cummins led the way with 19 wickets at 12 across the three Tests, which included career-best match figures of 10-62 in Melbourne to edge Pakistan by 79 runs. It was by far the closest encounter of the three as Australia won the first Test by 360 runs and the third by eight wickets.

Warner scored 164 in the first innings in Perth finish – the only century of the series – while none of Pakistan's big names could get going with the bat as the top five run-scorers were all from the home side. Muhammad Rizwan, who was left out of the side for the first Test, responded to be the visitors best in the series, hitting 88 in Sydney, Aamer Jamal (19 wickets) enjoyed a fine debut Test series with two five wicket hauls. Champion spinner Nathan Lyon also became the third Australia to reach 500 Test wickets in the series opener and finished with 13 for the series.

Frank Worrell Trophy – January 2024 (drawn 1-1)

First Test (Adelaide Oval): Australia won by 10 wickets

 

Second Test (Gabba): West Indies won by eight runs

A series that unearthed a new star as Guyanese tearaway Shamar Joseph took the wicket of new Aussie opener Steve Smith on Test debut among his first innings haul of 5-94. Hometown hero Travis Head hit a century, and Josh Hazlewood took 5-35 to ensure a comfortable first Test win for the home side chasing just 25 to win the match. But Joseph's haul was just a teaser for what was to come in Brisbane.

Gritty half-centuries to Kavem Hodge, Joshua Da Silva and Kevin Sinclair and hauls of four and three wickets respectively to Alzarri Joseph and veteran Kemar Roach helped the West Indies to a slender first innings lead with the pink ball. But a second innings collapse of 5-37 left Australia needing 214 for a whitewash victory.

Enter Shamar, who turned in one of the most astonishing performances seen on Australian shores despite sporting a broken toe that saw him retire hurt the previous day. The right-armer took seven wickets in 11.5 overs to bowl the Windies to their first Test win over Australia more than two decades, and first Down Under in 27 years. The hosts losing their last eight wickets in 20 overs to fall eight runs short – the narrowest margin of the current WTC cycle.

Trans-Tasman Trophy – February-March 2024 (won 2-0)

First Test (Basin Reserve): Australia won by 172 runs

 

Second Test (Hagley Oval): Australia won by three wickets

Cameron Green laid down a marker to be considered Australia's new long-term No.4 with a sensational unbeaten 174 in Wellington where the next highest score were extras (41) followed by Mitch Marsh (40). Nathan Lyon's 10 wickets for the match ensured New Zealand were bowled out for under 200 in both innings as Australia cruised to a 172-run first Test victory.

The second match in Christchurch was a much tighter affair as Matt Henry's seven first innings wickets made sure Australia's lead didn't stretch beyond 100 runs. Kiwi young gun Rachin Ravindra then hit 82 and veterans Kane Williamson and Tom Latham half-centuries as the Black Caps set Australia a tricky fourth innings chase of 278 to win. At 5-80 when Travis Head departed for 18 it scarcely looked possible, but Mitch Marsh (80 off 102 balls) and Alex Carey (98no off 123) went on the attack in a 140-run partnership. Then skipper Pat Cummins (32no off 44) yet again came to the rescue and combined with Carey to guide Australia to a 2-0 series win.

Border-Gavaskar Trophy – November 2024-January 2025 (won 3-1)

First Test (Perth Stadium): India won by 295 runs

 

Second Test (Adelaide Oval): Australia won by 10 wickets

 

Third Test (Gabba): Match drawn

 

Fourth Test (MCG): Australia won by 184 runs

 

Fifth Test (SCG): Australia won by six wickets

The first five-Test series between Australia and India in more than 30 years delivered in spades as the Aussies regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy seven years after surrendering it. It was a series that ebbed and flowed across the five Tests and began with a demoralising 295-run loss for Australia in Perth as emerging superstar Yashasvi Jaiswal slammed 161 and champion Virat Kohli 100 not out in the second innings to lead India's fightback after being bowled out for 150 on the opening day.

Australia responded on the back of Travis Head's 140 to square the series in Adelaide before rain wreaked havoc in Brisbane to leave the series poised 1-1 heading to Boxing Day at the MCG. The 373,691 fans – a record total attendance for a Test match in Australia – who poured through the gates across the five days witness an epic that went down to the final hour on the final day with Nathan Lyon taking the final wicket to see Australia take a 2-1 lead as India attempts to bat out a draw fell short.

Teenage debutant Sam Konstas made a splash replacing opener Nathan McSweeney with a thrilling 60 from 65 balls on the first morning, with several audacious ramps off India ace Jasprit Bumrah that unsettled the hosts. Virat Kohli copped a fine of 20 per cent of his match fee for bumping into Australia's new opener as the top four of Steve Smith (140), Usman Khawaja (57) and Marnus Labuschagne (72) all passed 50 in the first innings.

India's 21-year-old allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy made a stunning maiden century while his dad watched on in the front row of the stands to keep India in it before Jasprit Bumrah again put his team om his shoulders with five wickets to leave the victory target at 340 from 92 overs. Only Jaiswal (84) got going and after Rishabh Pant (30) holed out of Travis Head's bowling, Scott Boland (3-39), Pat Cummins (3-28) and Lyon (2-37) ran through the rest of the line up as Australia edged ahead in the series.

With a 2-2 draw enough for India to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the teams were greeted by a green seamer when they arrived in Sydney for what promised to be a thrilling finale. Boland (4-31) and Mitchell Starc (3-49) rock and rolled India for 185 on the first day before Konstas again riled up the tourists late on the final day with a quip of 'he's not ready' to Bumrah, which needed umpires to come between the pair to separate them. Bumrah promptly dismissed his opening partner Khawaja with the final ball of day one before turning to celebrate in Konstas' face as his Indian teammates swarmed the 19-year-old. A galvanised India emerged the next day and took a four-run first innings lead despite a fighting 57 by debutant Beau Webster, who replaced Mitch Marsh in the Australian side.

But the turning point perhaps came after lunch on the second day when Bumrah was forced from the field with back spasms and was unable to bowl again in the match, an underserving ending for one of the great tours of Australia by a visiting fast bowler that yielded 32 wickets at 13.06 for the series. Boland (6-45) completed his maiden 10-wicket haul in first-class cricket to leave the Aussies needing 162 to win back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But at 3-58 when Smith was dismissed on 9999 career Test runs and 4-104 when Khawaja (41) departed, the trophy was still up for grabs. Debutant Webster (39no off 34) again stood up, putting on an unbeaten 58-run stand with Travis Head (34no off 38) as Australia claimed a 3-1 victory in a series for the ages.

Warne– Muralidaran Trophy – January-February 2025

First Test (Galle): January 29-February 2

 

Second Test (Galle): February 6-10

Australia snuffed out Sri Lanka's slim hopes of reaching the WTC final themselves by beating India at the SCG, but there's still plenty to play for as the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy goes on the line.

Australia haven't beaten Sri Lanka in a Test series in Sri Lanka in almost 14 years and they've named a fresh-looking squad to try and bring home the trophy from the subcontinent island for the first time since 2011. West Australian allrounder Cooper Connolly has earned his first Test squad call up with spinners Todd Murphy and Matt Kuhnemann recalled to partner Nathan Lyon, while Steve Smith will captain the side in the absence of Pat Cummins as he remains at home for the birth of his second child.

World Test Championship Final

June 11-15: South Africa v Australia, Lord's